Ice, Eyes and I's
by Devinouse
Summary: Reincarnating from a world filled with taxes to a world filled with war AND taxes is not fair. Reincarnating from a world that gave me depression and a reason to kill myself is not okay. Reincarnating from a world where my purpose of life was nothing more but a sham was, without a better term to explain it, a real kick in the balls. -BEING REWRITTEN-
1. Chapter 1: Hyūga and related problems

AN.

Wow. Amidst the _Catching your Breath_ and _Iryo-nin Kasa_ you clicked this one. Thanks for that. More detailed AN at the end but enjoy the first chapter, hopefully!

* * *

I get it.

God hates me.

Maybe, _just_ maybe, killing myself wasn't such a good plan. If I only knew that before I felt like I was exiting what felt like two hot meat loaves stuck together. Child birth was not beautiful; who ever says it is can suck it. Twice, just to be sure. I don't care what anyone thinks. That shit had been traumatizing. Thank God children don't remember that crap, and no wonder they cry the moment their head pops out.

Well I still remember. Ugh.

Where was I? Oh yeah, killing myself. Not a good plan. Drowning is not pleasant to be honest. 0/10 did not enjoy. Modern Day life was so boring honestly, and sadly I kind of regretted drowning myself when it was too late. Boring meant safety. Safety meant good life. Boy, was I naive. I vowed to never try to kill myself ever again. I thought of all this as I was exiting my mom's body.

Yep, if death got me into this mess, I am going to preserve this new life the best I could.

I was silent for the most part. When I opened my eyes, everything was blurry and bright. _Too bright._

"Uuugh..." Was my intelligible response to this situation?

The hands around me shifted.

"She's so cute, Akane-san!" The woman holding me crooned.

Wait what? What did she say? 'Kawaii' and 'San' in the same sentence? Yes! Reincarnated in a first world country! Hopefully my new parents are rich!

Now this is when the guilt happened. Feeling the primal and emotional urge to cry for being an _idiot_ who only thought about herself and not the hardworking parents she had back home.

"Now now, don't cry my sweet." The woman who I think is a nurse said. I felt as she hand me to another pair of hands whom I think was my mom.

"Oh my baby, Tokina-chan." She cradled me while I tried to strangle her finger. Dang, cold finger. Must be the hospital air conditioning.

She was beautiful. Her hands were callous, but her skin looked so smooth. Her face was sweaty and flushed yet that look works for her. Her light brown hair looked so silky, and don't get me started on those beautiful light lavender eyes.

Wait.

Light Lavander eyes?

Oh Holy Hell.

"I thought we agreed on Tokuma, honey." A deep voice pouted.

"If she was a boy, but she is a she, isn't she?" Mom said happily, putting the emphasis on she. She raised me up to her face. "You're going to be a fine kunoichi, Tokina-chan."

Oh Holy Hell.

* * *

Of all the clans it had to be Hyūga. I'm not an avid Naruto fan like some other people but I do know that this is the clan that puts fucking seals in their family members that could fucking KILL THEM! It's like life wants me to die again. It's almost like it doesn't want me to survive. At least my parents were being nice about it. I usually spoiled them by not being a noisy brat when I need to and trying to form coherent words and making an effort to walk. They were kind of nice, dad being the one with the humor in the family and mom being gentle and sometimes out right scary. Their family dynamic was charming in its own way.

…Until I actually started to walk.

And then they began putting the Hyūga in Hyūga Akane and Hyuga Tomokazu

"Stance wide, Tokino-chan! No, not that wide! Straighter but keep your body lower!" My dad's screeching commenced.

Aren't I supposed to be exercising my chakra at this age? Like that leaf sticking exercise? I'm fucking two years old you crazy cucks!

"Now move faster! Don't break the stance!" He continued

I admire the Gentle Fist. I really do. It's just so beautiful looking honestly; it's like a dance, forward, weave, forward, weave and then strike. Then repeat. The fact that you're literally just poking them with some chakra appeals to me. I'm not hurting them, their body is doing that I'm just giving it a gentle push. That being said let me just say how I admire it from a distance. Like ballet. That shit is beautiful, but all that work is not worth it in my opinion. It takes years of discipline and practice to achieve that level of grace and beauty. But for the ballerinas can choose when they want to start, they can be ten or friggin' twenty for all they care. I started this noble art since I was at the tender age of two. Great, no more spoiling parents then.

Besides the Jyūken and Chakra Control Exercises with my parents, I can say life was decent. I was used to kind of strict, yet gentle mom and strict, overbearing-tsundere like dad ("Yeah, yeah I know you like your toy kunai. Can't wait till you break it again. Now back to practice!")

By age four I had chakra control that could rival a genin and commendable taijutsu skills for a four year old child soldier. I was pretty proud of myself until I realized something.

I hadn't learned a single ninjutsu or genjutsu.I don't even know my elemental affinity. I'm the type of person that would take tests in friggin' Quotev for that shit. 'What is your element?' 'Would you survive the Hunger Games?' 'How old is your soul?' 'When are you going to kill yourself?'. Personality tests were my shit back then. I always thought that people never really know themselves, and I've been trying to get to know myself since I was twenty three. And besides, who wouldn't want to know if they can shoot fire from their mouth with relative ease? Why stop now? So I asked my parents over supper.

"Mom, Dad?" I asked meekly, trying to play that cutesy toddler look. It mostly works on dad for some reason, mom just seems mildly amused. (A genin could manipulate your dad's heart, honey. Don't be proud.)

"What is it, Kina-chan?" Mom asked while nursing her drink.

"When can I learn ninjutsu?" I gave them a pleading look. Mom's eyes glinted in amusement and dad softened. "But you haven't even manifested your Byakugan yet, Ki-chan. Maybe when you're older. In the meantime your mom could show you how to walk on trees or something. She was a medic before, so her chakra control should be good." He smiled

Well, I could work with that. Not the waiting part though. Who wouldn't want to be friggin Jesus? Maybe there's a turn Water-into-Wine-jutsu out there somewhere. But then...

"How 'bout teach me a few medical-ninjutsu? It would help me in the long run with built in first-aid AND chakra control!" I said enthusiastically.

They gave each other skeptic looks.

"I promise it won't interfere with training, dad!"

He sighed.

Ugh. Just when I thought pre-soldier training wasn't going to be harder, I keep on surprising myself. When I thought my parents aren't that career oriented, I should have slapped myself.

"It died, Kina-chan."

My mom is worse than my dad. ('Taijutsu is supposed to hurt.' She reasoned when a I failed to keep my fish alive for the second time. 'Medical-ninjutsu is supposed to heal, the complete opposite. You are trying to cure, not hurt. When you commit to healing a person, you do not do it by halves. You make sure your patient will live by at least the next twenty-four hours. You cannot save everyone, that would be foolish to think of that, if you fail to save a life, you can at least say with the spirits above as witness that you really did try.') so yeah, she really is passionate about this whole thing.

"This is the, what, fifth one this week? I'm getting sick of eating fish for every meal Ki-chan." Dad snickered

"Aren't you supposed to be giving me moral support, dad?"

He shrugged his light lilac eyes filled with mischievousness. Wait. Are all Hyugas eyes that light? Does that mean what I think it means? It's a good thing I'm four. Time to play the innocent toddler act. I stared at my mom's light lavander eyes and forgot about my long dead fish (who was now making friends with flies, ew)

"Mom, Dad, are you two related?" I asked, my head tilted in a calculated angle, my image projecting cuteness.

My mom looked confused. "What do you mean, Kino-chan? We are husband and wife, so of course we are related." She said patiently. I scrunched my eyebrows in thought, and bit my cheek. How do I say this in the most innocent way possible…?

"No, I meant, are you like...brother and sister?" I didn't know the Japanese of siblings alright? I was just four back then. You can't blame me.

My dad spluttered and my mom looked faintly amused by his reaction. "N-no, of course not, where would you get that idea Ki-chan?" He said, finally getting is composure back.

"Everyone in the Hyūga place has really light eyes and the people in the town don't." I said, pouting. "What was that reaction, dad? I thought siblings love each other! And you told me getting a baby would require lots of love!" I said in the best matter of fact child voice I could manage. My dad looked uncomfortable and mom finally took pity on him.

"Me and your father's cousin by fourth-degree, Kina-chan." She gauged my reaction, when I gave her none she continued. "We usually..." Trying to find a child friendly word for mate, mother dearest? I tilted my head. "Marry with distant cousins where their Byakugan could only manifest in one eye. Your father has the clearest and sharpest Byakugan of all the Hyūga." At this, dad straightened his postured and raised his chin slightly, radiating smug. "I was distant enough to only manifest in one eye. So choices were made by Honored-elder." She finished. The air turned cold. I guess she didn't like that decision.

"So wait, you were forced to?" I prodded. My dad chuckled and ruffled my hair. "We were, but we didn't complain. It was our destiny. It wouldn't have happened if there wasn't a reason for it to happen, Ki-chan." He looked fondly at mom who returned the gaze with a smile.

"It worked out in the end." He finished.

"Aw, that's so sweet." I'm such a sucker for cheesy romance stories, even here, ugh. It's a sin. "So where do I come in?"

My dad stood abruptly and got the fish that was long dead and stinking up our back yard. He muttered an excuse and left. My mom sighed.

"Let me tell you a story about the birds and the bees, Kina-chan."

Oh, goodie.

Medical-ninjutsu training...isn't going as well as I would have hoped it would. A few months ago, I wouldn't even dream keeping a fish alive for two seconds, and 'good chakra control' isn't good enough. I had enough chakra control to stay on still water for a few minutes before I get impatient. I'm not miss-prodigy. Honestly, I don't even believe in this whole prodigy crap. It's the teachers who mold the students; and my parents are damn good teachers. They really are, but sometimes, birth limitations come to play.

"I don't get is Ki-chan, you have really good chakra control for your age. You shouldn't be having a problem with this." At this point dad gave me a questioning look and sighed. Suddenly, the veins around his eyes became prominent and his normally light lilac eyes turned pure white.

Byakugan

I flinched. Veins creep me the fuck out. I shuddered.

I had a feeling dad tried to hide an amused chuckle. "Heh, that will never get old," He muttered to himself. "You're terrible." I gave him a scathing look. At least I thought it was scathing, I started to doubt it when he snorted and ruffled my hair. "Don't insult your dad when he's trying to fix you, Ki-chan." He scolded lightly. I closed and rolled my eyes. "I saw that." He said as he gave me a real scolding look.

Ew, creepy.

"Back to business, try to keep fish-kun alive again." He said all professional like. I nodded and proceeded to keyword try to keep my test subject alive for at least twelve seconds. He raised an eyebrow for some reason. What? Do I have chakra cancer or something? "You have…a lot of chakra." He narrowed his pure white eyes at me. "I guess it's the Hyūga in you making the precision chakra control but where did the rest come from?" He stroked his none-existent beard. I don't really see the problem there. So I'm probably not all Hyūga, so what?

I pouted. How do you even convert that much chakra? He probably saw the look on my face and ruffled my hair. "Don't worry; your father is a Hyūga!" He puffed out his chest proudly. "I, Tomokazu Hyūga, vow to help my daughter keep fish-san alive for-"

"-At least twelve seconds."

"At least twelve sec- that's too short." He frowned at me, while I scratched my cheek shyly. Damn, just a few more words than I would've had him. He suddenly continued his declaration "for two whole minutes! If she doesn't, regular Jyūken practice will extend for two more hours!"

I gaped.

He activated his Byakugan again and smiled at me, looking innocent despite the visible veins. "Well?"

* * *

A few days after my birthday, I was sent to the Hyūga training grounds by a Jonin. He gave me a sad smile and body flickered away. What the hell was that about? Sensing that I would have to be exposed to semi-formal and cold outside environment, I donned my light-cream colored flowy kimono-shirt with sleeves that reached my elbows under my white tunic and black arm guards. My normally straight and silky hair decided to be very unreasonable today so I braided the end of it to keep strands from my face. My mom already enrolled me to the academy, so found a bunch of hand-me-downs she deemed 'okayish' for ninja use. I honestly felt like a girl playing the cute kunoichi but whatever. I strapped in my thigh holster on my wide legged pants that barely reached my ankles filled with nothing but senbons, the only weapon my mom trained me at, so I can say I really am armed. (Kunai are too heavy for throwing anyway, and Shurikens are just glorified pointy Frisbees.) And set out for the Hyūga training grounds.

When I got there I was greeted by my dad in full uniform and the Jonin that called me here. I gave my dad a skeptic look but he looked plain impassive but it was down right creepy. I jumped when a voice boomed from behind but didn't look behind me.

"So this is your daughter, Tomokazu-san? She looks flimsy." Hiashi in his early twenties said to me. I cringed at the assessing and judgmental look he was giving to me literally behind my back. "Turn around, girl." He said, in a commanding tone.

"Who are you?" He raised an eyebrow

"Hyuga T-Tokina, Hiashi-sama!" I spluttered and bowed. Is he giving off killing intent? Holy shit my hands are trembling. This inter-clan hierarchy is fucked up man. I just recently turned five. I'm not even a legal adult yet. Hyūga, the clan filled with career-obsessed Asian Parent stereotypes.

"Raise your head, girl." I gave you my name so fucking use it, asshole. "Are you aware why you are here?"

"I do not, Hiashi-sama" I said weakly, because holy hell, I can't breathe the air. It feels so thick. Like, sliceable with a knife kind of thick.

"As you may or may not know, the Third Shinobi War is looming upon us. The Village is tense with anticipation and is already preparing. " I tensed. He noticed but continued anyway. "As Hyūga, we will give our beloved Konoha the support that it deserves, which is the best. You, Hyūga Tokina, will bring pride to the Hyuga clan for you are representing the Hyūga in this generation. You must always remember, as a Branch-member, you serve your clan first before the village." He narrowed his eyes on me and I felt myself straighten. "To achieve your best, you first must manifest your Byakugan as a first step. Jyūken is powerful on its own but with the Byakugan, it will be much easier to see where to strike. To see clearer compared to the other ninja, to see more than the average person. To manifest your Byakugan, you must undergo a straining trial."

Oh shit, don't fuckin tell me.

"You will spar with Hyūga Seto, a Jonin." He nodded to the guy that fetched me for my apparent funeral "You are only allowed Taijutsu and some basic Ninjutsu; expect some level of Genjutsu from Seto. Throwing weapons only." Ah great, Ninjutsu (I do not know any anyway) Genjutsu (I've wanted to learn some but never had the time to) and Taijutsu, it's obvious who will win anyway. "You must spar until you win, or manifest your Byakugan."

I glanced at him and he began walking towards me. When he stopped I eyed Hia-shit. He eyed both of us carefully and stepped back. "Begin."

The Jonin formed what looked like the Snake hand seal and murmured "Byakugan." The veins around his eyes bulged and the light lavander eyes turned pure white and enlarge

Holy hell.

I glanced at my dad giving a look of betrayal. He looked impassive but a sad looking twitch near his eye said otherwise.

And I already made my first mistake. Not keeping an eye on my opponent. Great start for my first real fight. He disappeared when I turned to him and I instantly felt the strong leg kicking my side. I can sense he was holding back. Jyūken only uses feet for mobility, using it might be his way on giving me mercy. Either way, that information is not helping me right now.

I grunted in pain and scrambled backward. He disappeared and I instantly felt myself go on the defensive. He's not using body flicker. Just moving really, really fast I can't see him. I close my eyes and focused on the wind. Although I can't see him, I can feel him.

I managed to block the kick that was supposed to be my left shin. Of course my five year old muscles couldn't hold a trained Shinobi leg so I skidded away anyway. I'm going to feel like one big bruise in the morning aren't I? I experimented and tried it again but the second time it failed. So much for me thinking I was the best goddamn sensor in the world.

As I tried to leap away, he ran straight for me and tried to seal off the chakra points in my shoulder in rapid speeds. I managed to block him by sheer reaction time, only to get my arm sealed but his flurry of attacks kept on coming and coming

I cannot fucking do this, Jesus Christ. Pitting up against a Jounin versus a fucking toddler is fucked up. I get it, war is almost upon us and the Hyūga clan is treating it like competition and probably wants me to survive as a second objective. They could have done so in continuous lessons like dad had done, instead they friggin' did the 'Pain is the only lesson and ignorance will be our only weakness we will overcome' logic. It's ridiculous. The only way I see how I can disengage is to substitute or body flicker, but I don't know how to do either of that.

After a few hits my guard dropped and lost all feeling in my forearms. And my whole arm, oh, there goes my body. My legs work tho- oh never mind, a few jabs and I'm stumbling.

"Ugh..." Was my intelligible reaction to my twelve second gang bang. My face met dirt and grass. They seem so comfy this time of the year.

"Get up." Hiashi ordered.

The Jonin kicked my abused shin and literally threw me up. I stumbled and tried to regain my footing. When I managed a sloppy defensive stance, he engaged with the same level of ferocity, his white eyes stared back at mine for a split second before he began to try and seal my abused arms again.

This is going to be a long day.

My distraction caused me jab to the face.

A _really_ long day.

* * *

Tonakaze loves his daughter. Seeing her first baby steps gave flutters to his heart. He never liked kids, as genin, baby-sitting was often the worst kind of missions to take. He could take on Tora (with a few scratches here and there of course) he could weed a garden with no complaints (he was branch house anyway, he was used to that.) but he never saw the appeal of taking care of meat sacks that only know how to shit and cry.

And then he heard his baby girl laugh.

Fulfilling an S-ranked mission wouldn't even come close to the flutters in his stomach when he heard that sound. When she reached for his hand with her small fingers and smiled saying "Dada", he felt like he could win three Shinobi wars all by himself with his hands tied behind his back! When she first sparred with him with her sloppy stance yet awkwardly smiling face, he felt accomplishment he dreamt of never feeling as a Branch house.

Now he's seeing his daughter fight till she can't feel her body.

It's taking all his self control not to activate his Byakugan and show that Seto to mess with his daughter. He can't really be angry at the Jounin, he's just doing his job, sadly. He is not allowed to be angry at the Head house or the consequences would be dire. He looked at his daughter's sweaty face and ragged body, trying to block every jab and thrust, trying her best not to get sealed up again. The worst part was the helplessness in her eyes. She knows she can't win but doesn't do anything about it. She tensed and dodged and ducked but to no avail, a round house kick to her stomach sent her flying. She grunted in pain and everyone could hear her shallow breathing, the fifth time her face met the grass. He heard Hia-dick click his tongue.

"Get up, girl." His eyes narrowed

"Hiashi-sama, please." He begged. He can't stand it anymore, he was strict but he knew his daughter's limits.

"You are not in the right place to beg, Tomokazu." He growled

"But Hiashi-sama-"

That's when familiar and agonizing pain shot to his forehead, his forehead felt like it was burning. He tore his forehead protector away, trying to cool his cursed seal but of course, it didn't work. He clenched his head and knelled, not realizing that an ugly sound was escaping from his throat.

"Dad!" Tokina screamed, abandoning the sullen looking Jonin in favor of trying to do something, anything to make her dad feel better. The Caged Bid seal, she thought bitterly. Overkill, just because he was trying to defend me. Her anger was winning over her guilt right now (Oh God, this is my fault, I'm not good enough and where did it get me.)

"Stay where you are!" Hiashi roared his voice louder than Tomokaze's screams. "Did I tell you to stop fighting?! If this was a real battle, you would have been dead by now, girl!" He glared at Tokina, meek and cute acting all but forgotten. She scrunched up her eyebrows and unknowingly bared her teeth. Hiashi smiled inwardly (Hmph. Tough girl) "If you do not continue your fight you will face expulsion from the clan!" Seto stared at Hiashi with shock and Tokina began to unconsciously bleed killing intent.

Then the fight continued.

* * *

That bitch.

I blocked a few hits and dodged to my left, parrying a thrust aimed for my head.

That bitch!

The Jonin shifted, getting a lot of hits on my stomach but I managed to dodge before he could push me.

Are all Main-houses like this?! You think a fucking newly Five year old girl knew how to beat a Jonin with probably more life and battle experience I had combined with my past life?! All this for a stupid eye trick?! And what do I get out of this? A torture seal given to us by what is essentially family?! Family doesn't punish family at this level of intensity! My dad did not deserve whatever that fucking was!

"Aaaaargh!" I unknowingly let my frustration out into the outside world and dropped defense to deliver the first counter attack I ever did in this whole cursed fight. Of course it did not hit. The Jonin was mildly surprised at this and retreated for now. He gazed at me with an appraising look and glanced at Hiashi.

Hiashi looked smug, he let a small smile curl from his mouth and promptly dropped it. "I did not say stop."

Damn, my eyes itch.

Suddenly remembering I had senbons, I let my hand hover my thigh holster. My view suddenly sharper and wider, an instinct telling me where to hit and where to aim. Blue flames and dots surrounding the Jonin's body.

Was this his genjutsu? Was he giving me a hint? How nice of him.

His body tensed and zipped to my left, anticipating this; I dodged to my left and stabbed a senbon precisely at one of the dots in his left arm. I saw Hizashi's mouth turned wide into a shit-eating grin and my dad, mildly green, looked at me with surprise and a hint of smug. I took out three more senbons and rapidly impaled his arm, trying to get a precise aim on the blue dots; he retracted at the fifth one I managed to impale. He body flickered to the opposite at me in considerable distance. I prepared three senbons between my fingers. His left arm twitched, and his right arm holding it like it was dead weight.

"Enough." Both of us looked at Hizashi with his professional-face again. "Seto, you are dismissed. Good work." The Jonin nooded and smiled at me, still holding his arm. He pulled the senbons out with nothing but a wince. He deactivated his Byakugan. "By your command, Hizashi-sama." He bowed and body flickered away.

What the fuck, who smiles at the person who impaled five needles in his arm? And what the hell? Suddenly dismissing the fight, I bet he was holding back, hell he was even giving me hints, telling me where to strike and shit. Using genjutsu in front of the leader took guts, how did Hia-shit not notice that?

I wiped my forehead and eyes, feeling weird bumps around my eyes. I stopped; I closed my right eye and felt the area around it.

Oh.

Oh. I see.

"Good work, Tokina, I expect great things from you." Hiashi said sternly, killing intent gone and forgotten for a moment. "You are dismissed."

"Oh...uh" I said intelligibly "Th-thank you, Hiashi-sama." I bowed. "If I may be bold to ask...how do I..." I pointed at my veiny eyes, the near three-sixty vision giving me a migraine. "Cut off the excess chakra from your eyes should deactivate your Byakugan." He said briskly "Tomokazu-kun if I may have a word...?" Hiashi asked politely, more like commanded really. My father looked at me for a moment, surprise gone replaced with amusement and excessive amounts of smug. "Of course, Hiashi-sama."

They body flickered away leaving veins grossly surrounding my eyes, tired, dirty, and suddenly-having-urges-to-kill-myself me. That was stupid. I eyed the grass for a moment. I did say they look comfy this year. I then promptly passed out.

* * *

"Her hand and finger coordination rivals that of a B-level Shinobi. Her reflexes are good enough to let her block but lacks the required muscles to be effective she cannot dodge. Her upper body is fast but it seems like she does not know what to do with her feet. She knows no form of ninjutsu; she cannot disengage and uses senbons instead of her fingers to disable the disable tenketsu. She does not know anything about the Byakugan. You have reported she has excellent chakra control and surprising chakra reserves. Why do I not see it?" Hiashi said mechanically, eying the unconscious slump in their training grounds.

Tomokazu looked away guiltily "I haven't thought her how to inject chakra from her finger tips yet, and she seems to have problems in converting her chakra. She does have an excess of spirit chakra for some reason, though." He let his eyes drift to the girl that stabbed a Jonin's arm five fucking-times before he got to retreat. "And I didn't think we would have her to forcibly manifest her Byakugan...I thought we would let it manifest on its own."

Hiashi glanced at Tomokazu with a look that said 'sorry I'm not sorry' "We are about to engage in war, Tomokazu." He said. The Branch member sighed. "I am sorry, Hiashi-sama" Tomokazu bowed. Hiashi nodded "Work on that, Tomokazu. I do expect great things from her. I will inform you when she will be given the Caged Bird seal." He said mechanically. His Byakugan activated and narrowed, making Tomokazu flinch away from the sudden aggression and killing intent. Tokina twitched but remained blissfully unconscious. "Do not think I have not noticed her early defiance and resentment to the Head house." He glared. "If you do not teach her proper obedience, even under stressful situations, to a Head house, I will take you and Akane as responsibility. I understand that Seto had placed her in a genjutsu to intensify the stress she would get in a fight but if this continues…" He deactivated his Byakugan and let the killing intent go and turned, letting the unsaid threat hang in the air. "Take your child and go, you are dismissed."

"Yes, Hiashi-sama." He bowed stiffly and took his child in a bridal carry.

And take his child and go he did.

"Uuugh, it hurts. Can't you make the pain go away mom?"

"I could but your muscles will refuse to grow to strain that way if you insist on blocking every hit." She said and eyed me with amusement in her eyes. I groaned, refusing to move since I really did feel like a big bruise. "Can't you make the migraine go away at least?" I begged. "If it was not a Dōjutsu cause's migraine, I would but you must develop a resistance if you wish to develop your Byakugan." She nodded and smiled, and I flinched. "Congratulations on manifesting your Byakugan, Tokina-chan, I'm so proud of you." She said softly, stroking my hair with her cold fingers. I eased under her touch, whether it was just Mama's love or medical-ninjutsu, I was not sure. It was nice though.

But holy shit, though. I have fucking Byakugan. It was so worth it. Well maybe not -so- worth it but it will help me in the long run. Enhanced vision and the ability to see the chakra pathway system will make Jyūken so much easier. No more memorizing where they are now, no more repeats because I missed by a few inches. If only I didn't feel like I got hit by a tsunami, this would have been great.

Maybe this ninja thing wouldn't be so bad. Just keep a low profile, refuse suicide missions and retire at the earliest convenience. The Jyūken and Byakugan could probably keep me alive for now, but I do need to work on my chakra if I don't want to keep wasting senbons as a substitute.

Oh well, I better go to sleep. Academy day tomorrow, Dad would probably squeeze mid morning Jyūken practice in though. Ugh. I can already _feel_ how great my second life is going to turn out.

* * *

I woke up in an empty chair. I looked up to see stars and the Earth. _What a pretty dream_ , I thought to myself. A figure of an old man touched my eyes and I went back to sleep.

* * *

AN

First Chapter was and is an editing nightmare. I'm sure there was a _Tonakaze_ I didn't edit somewhere or other. The draft I am currently making is about as long as J.K Rowling's _The Prisoner of Azkaban._ I really didn't think this story would pique my interest this much but, hey, stranger things can happen. After much urging from my best friend (best snake as well) and sister, I posted my own little world here. This initially began in August 1, after getting super inspired from Lang-Noi's _Catching your Breath_. I might post another chapter but honestly, the draft is such an editing nightmare and Tokina is such a potty mouth in early chapters, but that's what character development is for! Anyway, thanks for picking this fanfic among the other SI/OC/Reincarnations. Patience might be rewarded, depending on your standards but reviews are appreciated. Not pressuring you, our Contemporary Issues subject taught us about human rights. I should know, I had the first quarterly exams on it this morning. :)


	2. Chapter 2: Friends with NO benefits

AN.

So I decided to post 2 chapters per week. Well, not subsequently, maybe every Friday and Sunday but since I was feeling productive (and I refused to study for my Math and Theology exam) I decided to edit this. It was fun. Thanks for the reviewers who enjoyed the first chapter of 3xIs! (pronounced as thrice. Pretty punny rite?) To that one reviewer who was confused of her age, she has the mental age of a mid-twenty year old and since I skimmed through her childhood because, Hyuga reasons. Basically, she fought Seto at age age 5, academy age. Last chapter ended literally the day before the opening ceremony.

White Eyes? Not worth the trouble on my opinion. But I'm not Tokina :)

 **EDIT 11/25/2017:** Just removed a name that I decided was useless to the current ideas of the plot. Nothing important, carry on

 **EDIT 11/26/2017** : Corrected a math equation that was due correction :')

* * *

The Opening ceremony went off without a hitch (for me anyway, I was pretty sure a certain Uchiha was late) and classes began.

I entered the classroom with a fair number of students already in. I walked to the corner next to the window like a true anime protagonist and began to doze off. I would have been successful if it wasn't for the not so loud murmuring. Honestly, shouldn't they be a bit quieter? They are ninja to be after all.

"Who's that girl?"

"I haven't seen her before."

"Aren't the Hyūgas a great clan? What's she doing wearing those ugly oversized shirts?"

"Does she even wash those?"

I sighed, resting my cheek on my left hand and began drumming the table. So what if these are hand me downs? It's not like it would be any different if it was store bought anyway. And this is its natural color, you ignorant plebeians, never seen Khaki before? I got out a notebook and doodled in the last page. This is going to be a long year, I can feel it.

"Um, Hyūga-san, is this seat taken?" A girl asked for the seat next to me. She had light brown hair and weird looking purple markings near her cheeks. Ah, "Nohara-san, correct?" I smiled "It's not taken, go ahead." She let out a small thank you and set her books and other studying utensils. "Don't mind them." She said under her breath "Their just curious, that's all. I personally like khaki myself." She smiled at me. I smiled back, awkwardly. Damn, maybe if my mental age was the same as those other children, I making friends could be so much easier. I felt guilty on the fact that this perfectly normal child was being nice to me and all I could think was _no I don't have an extra pen, please go away._ "Thank you for your concern, Nohara-san." I said genuinely. The room started go fill out before a loud and irritating voice was heard.

"Alright everybody, be quiet!" the angry old man voice said, appearing seemingly out of nowhere in a burst of smoke and leaves. The room's noise died down instantly. I eyed him curiously. He had wild, bed hair that reached his shoulders, Inuzaka marking around his eyes and donned what looked like a blue with white trimmings summer yukata. He cleared his throat and glared at us like disobedient dogs. "This could go either way, either you pass or you fail. If you can't even answer what the square root of 64 is, how would you puppies even survive in the field?" He barred his teeth at me. "You, Hyūga!" I slowly stood up while is finger was pointing at me. I sense that he had Hyūga rival if he wanted to make this personal "What is the Pythagorean theorem if you're so smart?"

Geometry in first grade? This man is evil. Too bad for him, I wasn't totally inept in math, just the statistics part of it. Statistics can go fuck itself, making me repeat my second year. What the hell would I use statistics for when I was studying how to be a friggin' musical conductor?!

"Isn't it a^2+b^2=c^2?" He then laughed at me. I tilted my head slightly. I'm sure I was right, my sophomore math teacher beat that shit into us in the fear of graded recitation. Asian schools, everybody. "You see puppies? If you can't even solve basic math, what are the chances of you making geni-wait what did you say?" He cut off quickly

"a^2+b^2=c^2?" I repeated with a little bit of confidence.

"You're not supposed to know that yet." He glared at me, barring his teeth. The look caused a few students to wince. "Tell me your name _oh smart one_." The bitch-nin drawled out sarcastically, all the eyes instantly turned to me. Oh god, social confrontation, "H-Hyūga Tokina, sensei!" I managed to squeak out. He grinned sadistically as if he was enjoying this "So you aren't one of in the Main House then?" He questioned. "N-no sir." That seems to be the answer he was looking for. "Sit down, then." He waved me off, the children still eyeing me weirdly, and he began to talk.

"He's the worst." Rin whispered to me. I let out a small chuckle "Tell me about it." She smiled and I returned it. The teacher was writing something on the board when a black haired boy with orange goggles suddenly burst through the door. The Inuzaka sensei immediately glared at him, not appreciating a late student and being interrupted.

"You're late." The Inuzaka bared his fangs. The class laughed at the boy, who from my memory was Obito, I think. The boy turned red and I saw how his eyes looked at Rin's with humiliation. Rin smiled exasperatedly and shrugged. The I-want-to-kill-myself look on Obito's face lessened and stood straighter. The Inuzuka muttered something in the words of 'I'm too old for this crap' and pointed at the empty seat next to Rin. "If your late once more, you will be punished, understand?" The dog-teacher snarled out. "Now sit and pay attention." Obito scrambled to the seat and gave a small smile to Rin. Sensing I shouldn't be a part of this conversation, I turned my head to the lesson on hand. But I could still hear them.

"I'm late." Obito repeated, scratching his cheek.

"You're late." Rin said exasperated at the Uchiha boy.

Nobody seemed to notice the small delay that the dog-teacher did or his slight ear twitch. I opened my notebook, quietly ripped a page and wrote something, casually passing to Rin.

'He can hear you.' They immediately quieted.

"Now, our first lesson on the history of Konoha begins now."

Ugh.

* * *

The bell rang for lunch and I slowly rubbed my eyes to ward of any drowsiness. That didn't stop the yawn, though. I covered my mouth with my oversized sleeve and got out of the room with lunch in hand that I immediately want to devour.

Mmmm, beef...

"Thanks back there, Hyūga-san." A girly voice said behind me.

"Huh?" I turned around and saw Rin smiling and a curious looking Obito looking at me like I was a freak. I eyed him and tilted my head slightly, he blushed and looked away. Kids are weird. "What did I do?" I asked, genuinely curious. Rin still kept that smile on; doesn't that hurt her cheeks or something? "You saved us from a day of yelling from that mean teacher, that's what!" Obito chirped loudly, Rin elbowed him in the ribs.

"Ow!" He rubbed his ribs

"Sorry, he can get excitable at times." She apologized for him. He pouted and muttered what was probably a denial."You really did save our skin, though. Thanks for that." Rin suddenly gained back the topic at hand and held out her lunch. "Do you want to have lunch with us, Hyūga-san?" She asked politely

Nice, no awkward alone at the lunch table scenario.

"I would be happy to, Nohara-san." I nodded slightly. Rin beamed and began leading us like lost sheep. Obito frowned, probably since he was ignored throughout the conversation. Rin, leading the way, left me with Obito and the passive silence turned awkward really fast.

"So, um, who are you?" I asked, trying to sound polite. I don't know why but _who you are_ always sounded so rude to me. It sounded like the bad _who are you_ , the ones you use when there a person literally pressing all your buttons. Obito (but I don't know that, Obito who? Never met that guy/kid/Uchiha before) rebounded from the awkwardness into something of pure happiness. "I'm-" he pointed at himself "Uchiha Obito and I'm gonna be Hokage someday!" He declared, his right hand pumping the air.

Aw, cute.

"Good luck, Uchiha-san. I look forward to working under you." I said, meaning half of it, specifically not meaning the 'working under you' because I was aiming to appease my parents then open a flower shop or something. I know he won't become Hokage-sama but still. It did make his day though, he practically beamed at me, I gave him a tight lipped smile in return, he turned pink again and his smile faltered for a second. What's wrong with him?

We stopped under a cherry blossom tree, giving a lot of shad and a full view of the students playing.

"Are you okay, Uchiha-san? You look flushed." I said, putting the back of my palm for head. I felt him flinch but he made no move to avoid it. I let out an 'Hm' and sat down next to Rin, and Obito mirroring me.

Obito cleared his throat. "So, what so you want to be when you grow up, Toki- Hyuga-san?" Obito corrected hastily, I let an amused expression show. Obvious struggle in formalities would result in punishment in Hyūga.

"Tokina is just fine, if you don't mind calling you Obito-san and Rin-san." I ate my beef as I waited for my response. It wasn't a long wait. "Sure, sounds okay to me." Obito let out casually, hastily eating his fish. Rin smiled "I don't mind. Anyway, you were saying?"

"Well, honestly, I don't have a big goal. I just want to live and settle down or something." I confessed "The papers about a war coming soon so..." I shrugged "make every moment count I guess?"

Obito opened his mouth but a ball immediately struck his face, he let out an 'Oomph' and fell backwards, his lunch ruined. I frowned at the wasted food. Obito stood up with incredible speed and pointed at the perp. "You!"

The smug looking kid gave out an ugly smirk "Me." He said calmly, he tucked a lock of hair under his ear and put his pony tail behind him with a huff. "Hey, weren't you that kid that was late in the ceremony?" fatty piped up. The Scream snickered, "Your right! What a loser!" He had a long face and tall and lanky figure, if I had to describe him accurately; he looked like The Scream's face with a stickman body. He was flanked by two other kids, one fat with black hair and the other one short with a wooden sword. Obito rushed at him and punched The Scream with vengeance. Screamy fell on his butt and the two other kids supported him.

"Boss, are you okay?" Fatty said, with a high pitched voice inhumanely possible.

"Let's wreck his shit up!" Holding the wooden sword awkwardly pointing at us, it was clear to me he only carried it for intimidation purposes. I've seen enough Anime to know where this was going. A crowd was gathering behind us. Ah great, just perfect. The Scream stood up and Obito immediately sized him up. If I focused really hard I could see lightning between them

Rin immediately stepped between them. Pushing their chests away to give me space and to distance them.

"Guys, please, it's just a misunderstanding." Rin said calmly I pulled the Uchiha I knew for about 12 minutes away from the fray.

"Why should I be ordered around by some _girl_?" The Scream pushed Rin away, said girl dropped on her but while Obito flailed.

The grounds immediately quieted. I closed my eyes from twitching deeply sighed. Every part of me was screaming _get away from the situation as fast as you can_. I wasn't a hero, there wasn't an instinct telling me to stay, but Rin was nice to me. I could at least return the favor. It's what I owed my past parents; they raised a better daughter than this. "Look let's just all be mature and forget this never happened." I compromised, my five year old body failing to restrain the tougher Uchiha. The Scream mock whispered to his goons, "She's just saying that since she knows she can't beat me."

My right eye twitched

"If you don't stop, I'm going to call Inuzuka-sensei!" I childishly threatened while Obito pushed me away, making his small body a human shield, while the crowd began murmuring around me.

The Scream rolled his eyes.

"I never thought the Hyūga could be such chickens!" He sneered. Obito ran up to him and punched him square in the face while the one with the wooden sword that could be charitably called a bokken slammed it hard on Obito's back. My eyes widened as Obito let out a sharp gasp and dropped to the grass. Oh my God, this level of bullying was intense. The three began kicking and beating Obito up while the Uchiha took it, his arms protecting his face. I heard the crowd's murmurs despite them not doing anything. If I was them, I wouldn't get involved. "Someone should do something." I heard one of them. "You do it, they might wait for me after school. I don't want that!" replied the other. I couldn't really blame them. They were children. I was biologically a child. If I was an Uchiha with red eyes and black circles then maybe they could fear me but the said Uchiha wasn't prodigious nor had his Sharingan yet.

But I was a Hyūga who _earned_ my Byakugan.

"You should stop." I said quietly, my brain trying to process the fact that this is going to be my world. If this was the level of bullying when we were just five years old then I need to be tougher, enough to stand up for myself and just myself. The three stopped their merciless beating and eyed me with the look of 'obviously not a threat.' "Oh, I'm sorry." Fatty cupped his ear with an arrogant smile. "I don't understand _ugly_."

I formed a snake hand seal to activate my birthright. They all tensed. "I'm sorry, too." My eyes focused on the tenketsu points around me as I took a basic Jyūken stance my dad beat me into the moment I learnt how to walk and talk. "I don't speak _stupid_." The air around me chilled. Killing intent? I didn't know.

They all sneered at me and engaged. They were obviously civilian children who entered to make their clans have more power or something because, honestly, their taijutsu needs serious work. That was me being generous. I wasn't a Neji but I sure as hell knew how to use my Byakugan and my Jyūken. My fingers flinched in the contact of cloth as I injected chakra to their waist, arms and hips while the three threw themselves at me. With muscle memory I _earned_ because of my dad, I managed to dodge their blows. They were all groaning at the ground while The Scream looked at them flabbergasted. "M-Monster!" He tucked tail and ran, forgetting all about his lackeys

I deactivated my white eyes. Wow, so I'm the monster that beat a poor defenseless kid? Double standards at its finest, I would say. Obito stood up and immediately helped Rin up, who was nursing a sore butt. I walked back to them. "Are you guys okay?" I checked the two children. I was a 'children'. Obito's eyes were wide.

"That was so cool!"

I blinked.

"You need to teach me that, Tokina!" Obito dropping the formality would have cost him a punch to the gut if I was any other Hyūga. I smiled at him and resumed my eating. It was all for you, my precious beef. "Maybe, I still have a long way to go." I confessed. Well, the road was only till I earned enough to open a flower shop, become a civilian, then retire at the tender age of 30 where I hope that I'd be able to marry a man who had a stable income.

Rin beamed at me. "Thanks, Tokina- _san_." The brunette stressed the formality, earning a sheepish chuckle from Obito. She sat beside us, continuing her eating and was now feeding some of her food to Obito who now has a ruined lunch. I'm not giving my beef if he requested it. "Those guys, though." Rin huffed. "So mean. Are you okay, Obito-kun? I'm sure I have a bandage here, somewhere." She began searching for her pockets and held a pink bunny band-aid proudly.

Rin, honey, I don't think that would suffice.

I focused on converting my chakra for medical means. It took four minutes (four minutes too long if it was a real battle) for my hands to at least _flicker_ with minty-green chakra. I directed the Mystic Palm to Obito who blinked at it curiously before letting out a shameless groan of pleasure. "Ohhh, that feels good." I continued focusing on my jutsu with a wide-eyed Rin staring at me, a spring breeze making the trees rustle as I felt what I thought was air enter my kimono shirt through my oversized sleeves.

I shivered. Damn was today cold.

* * *

Finding experiments that could handle The Cursed Seal of Heaven was difficult. So far, he managed to plant the seal in four clanless children. Orochimaru needed six more. To achieve immortality, one must be willing a few sacrifices. Immoral, if some would say

The Snake Sannin chuckled at his own joke.

Sometimes he could crack himself up. He was doing rounds around the village when one of his snakes planted by the Academy let out a chakra ping. He stopped immediately, cloaking himself in a high-level Camouflage Jutsu and did a reverse summon.

He hid from the crowd of children and settled for the trees. It's not like their small child brains could sense him anyway. Orochimaru aimed to learn all the jutsu, camouflage should be easy for someone like him. His slit pupils immediately inspected a small girl who was quickly taking her interest. He quirked a smile. For a five year old girl, her killing intent control was amazing, almost like an expert interrogator. And what was that chakra reserve she had? How curious. He was sure that the only Uzumaki here was that red-haired woman who was dotting on the Yellow Flash. He observed how the girl seamlessly beat the two buffoon called children and sent the other one running.

Chakra reserves to match an Uzumaki, has the Byakugan at such a tender age, impressive chakra control being her birthright. What a fine body and test subject she could be if he molded her and matured.

No, he told himself, be patient. These things require research and observation. A Hyūga girl suddenly going missing would cause the clan to go in an uproar in fear of the girl being kidnapped for her eyes, whether it be part of the Main or the Branch. She could be an easy target for kidnappers, and he has not heard of any new Main house children (he should know, the prideful clan who boasts the eyes that aren't all impressive usually announced their children as a side-story in the papers) and he was not sure if she would survive the procedure, even if she did not, she does not look like she has the Caged Bird seal on her so her eyes would still be of use for further research if she could not endure. Hmmm, but maybe with a little conditioning here and there, It would not be unusual for him to gain an apprentice. Hiruzen has been nagging him to get on anyway; either that or maybe that or maybe a three member team of brats.

Further observation will be needed, but in the mean time...

He bit his hand and summoned a small green python; he directed it to the now eating girl with the three other children talking animatedly. "You know what to do." The python curled around Orochimaru's wrist as a form of acknowledgment and slithered down the tree. It camouflaged with grass and slithered near the girl, and went inside her Kimono shirt. The girl shivered at the cold touch for a second but did nothing. Orochimaru will be patient for now. He needed more experiments and patients but rushing things will only lead to failure

Patience to gain a new patient,

He chuckled and body flickered away in the guise of a pleasant spring breeze.

* * *

The reactions to The Academy aren't exactly justifiable. I mean, it is a school. We are supposed to learn the basics of life and some ninja stuff sprinkled here and there, like the history, what chakra is, that sort of stuff. I suppose to other kids, History could be considered boring but I couldn't help but be impressed. Someone made this. Some human out there with a bunch of free time made the history, jutsus, infrastructures and systems to this world. I could consider myself somewhat creative but, wow. Making a world that made spitting fire in the norm was kind of amazing, making _individual_ characters with unique personalities and abilities and how they function was jaw dropping. The time and effort they put up with this is astounding, and here I am experiencing it. The novelty didn't wear off exactly, but the teacher did. His voice is NOT suited for teaching. It's like he wants us to sleep through his lessons so he could scold us. So I did what my former self would do in this situation, hum softly, daydream and or doodle. Today was daydream day.

 _Eight Triagrams: Sixty Four Palms!_

"Hyūga-san!" An irritatingly loud voice pierced through my daydream of Neji majestically beating Naruto's ass.

"Yes, Sensei?" I shot up.

"If you could give us a moment to borrow your precious time, why don't you tell me what the Second Hokage accomplished?" He smiled condescendingly, while three distinct children snickered. I sighed deeply. You taught us this last Tuesday, old mutt.

"Tobirama Senju was a member of the renowned Senju clan, who, together with his elder brother and the Uchiha clan, founded the first shinobi village: Konohagakure. Throughout his lifetime, Tobirama would work tirelessly to achieve political stability and implement the institutions that made the village system work, thus ensuring Konoha's continuity and prosperity. After his brother's death, he would succeed the title of Second Hokage." The Troublesome Three instantly shut up and my classmates were snickering, except for that weird silver haired kid of course. Dang he was creepy. I faced my teacher who looked purple.

"Is there something wrong, sensei?"I asked, tilting my head slightly. Well that became a bad habit. I should try to break since the teacher looked at me even more livid.

"That was not even in your curriculum!" He screeched.

"You taught this last Tuesday, sensei. You even tested me ( _and only me_ ) on the effects of the Wood-release after." I reminded him with a little snark.

Rin sighed exasperatedly, since she was such an angel while Obito snickered beside me as I waggled my eyebrows at them.

That's how most of my academy days worked out, drawing, showing teachers up and then drawing again. It's not my fault my mom crammed all this info before putting me here. It was a plain academy school day. Not a lot of stress, I even make that my personal cat-nap time. What was really stressful was the happenings inside of the Hyuga compound. I've been straining my whole body for intensive training. Jyuken for two hours, medical-ninjutsu/chakra control for three hours and practicing the academy 3 ninjutsu till I want to go to sleep. My parents usually gave Saturday for me, and I don't even use it for cat naps.

I used it to stalk Hiashi.

Because if I vowed anything to myself, it's that I want to live past thirty, and if I can't get ninjutsu (fucking chakra cancer and my inept ability to convert my chakra), then I refuse to suck balls in taijutsu, and not all fights are one-on-ones. I need an area-of-effect jutsu. And Eight Triagrams: Sixty four palms is just the kind of jutsu I want. I wrote notes where he couldn't see near his Byakugan and just adjust there, since I realized what Neji will a few years in the future. Only Head Houses can teach the dreaded Sixty Four and it was a jutsu that not even some Branchies knew about, only taught to to other Head House members since it is 'very dangerous'. Bitch please; it's called the _Cage Bird Seal_ for a reason. The loophole Neji found out is that Branchies are not allowed to learn it from other Branchies but they didn't say anything about Branch Houses learning it from them indirectly, like say, stalking them and taking notes with Byakugan activated.

But if I really wanted Jyūken help, I should ask somebody for help. And I know just the person.

* * *

"What's this? Your handwriting is terrible; make sure your mom teaches you about calligraphy." Dad asked, eyeing my notebook filled with scrawls of notes about the tenketsu points, each one hit by the palms where in red while the ones that weren't were blue. So I was rushing to jot some stuff down, sue me.

"Eight Triagrams: Sixty-Four palms!" I said cheerily, proud of my own work. It only took like...a year and a half for me to know what exact Tenketsu points to strike, and in what order. It would have been easier if I had a video camera but Byakugan is a nice alternative.

"Who gave this to you?" He said, flipping through my notes. asd

"Nobody, I made it myself!" I puffed out my cheeks in annoyance. "You know, by stlakingHiashi-samaeverytimehetrainsImeannobiggieright?" I muttered under my breath.

"And you want my help to teach this to you?" He said looking at the diagram of the full tenketsu system hit by the sixty four palm.

"Please? I mean, we could learn it together or something..." I said nervously. If you don't want to then fine, I could ask mom. No need to be such a tease. It's not like I'm going to abuse it or anything. How can I anyway?My nervous thoughts stopped when his light lilac eyes glistened with mischievousness and a Cheshire grin that leaked malice formed on my dad's face.

"Let's start now then." He closed the notebook abruptly yet carried it like a newborn infant. He grabbed my hand like a child given a great toy for Christmas and body flickered away with me in tow

Wow, he seems more excited than I do.

* * *

I dreamed of Rabbits, or Hares, or Bunnies on the moon with me. I wasn't an expert in Zoology I sure as hell didn't know. One of them had this weird, glow in the dark, blue crescent moon on it's forehead and it was carrying this over sized scroll that looked too big for it to carry. It began faliling it around excitedly. I knew it was talking to me or something since it's wide mouth was moving animatedly but I couldn't hear it, which was understandable. Sound waves can't travel in the vast vacuum of space.

What weird dreams I have.

definitely weird dreams.

* * *

AN.

When I meant " _I might post another chapter"_ I meant it like, subsequently. Thanks for the sudden reviews, favorites and follows! That made my morning, afternoon, night, day, week, month etc. Last chapter for this week, but I might continue editing Part I so I could just insta-post it on Friday and maybe Sunday. Have a great day/night wherever you come from. Please review and follow (and favorite if you're daring)


	3. Chapter 3: Snakes and friends

AN.

Chapter 3 with the shameless family feuds. Because I couldn't think of any family bonding fillers :)

 **EDIT 11/25/2017:** Conducting a mass editing. Just added a line break. Carry on.

* * *

"Rin-chan, so good to see you!" My dad gave Rin a polite smile which she returned. Dad instantly froze over when he directed his eyes at the fidgeting Uchiha and nodded to him. "Obito, you're looking well." He greeted the boy all the while eyeing Obito with immature malice. I fidgeted nervously beside them. "Please, come in." They both muttered thanks and entered the house stiffly. We made a beeline for my room.

We all exhaled stiffly.

This has been going on for a while now. After the Hyūga incident (that is literally what they call it at school.) Rin, Obito and I instantly became a trio. One can't just be acquaintances when that happens. It's like a Harry, Ron, Hermione thing with the Ogre, except with martial arts and learning how to survive in a gruesome war. My mom kept encouraging me to marry the damned kid. If only she knew I was about the same age as her. I'm pretty sure she was about 25 or something. They made Rin and him eat dinner with us every other day. When mom noticed Rin's passion of medical ninjutsu, she asked her if she wanted to join me with my classes, and an enthusiastic reply followed. She is making leaps of progress compared to me, so my mom focused on her and I focused more on learning the Eight Triagrams. Obito sparred with me from time to time, but we mostly hung around the village marketplace. Dad approved of frequent dinners until the fish sticks incident happened.

Obito was about to say something when I held my hand up. His mouth shut with a click. I formed the snake seal and activated my Byakugan. My dad was staring at the door with his Byakugan. Creepy.

"He's watching us." I whispered.

Rin looked nervous. "We didn't mean to impose. Maybe we should visit some other time when your mom's here." She said quietly, Obito nodded sullenly "She makes the best fish sticks." He said seriously and I smiled "She does, doesn't she?" I frowned once more, focusing on the problem at hand. "I cannot study with your dad practically glaring at my back." Obito shuddered "I cannot fail this test you guys, dog-sensei told me that this might affect my chances of being a genin!" Rin looked askance

"Come on, Obito, he's not glaring at you and judging your every move…Is he? She turned to me, since I can literally see through walls. Perks of being a Hyūga by Hyūga Tokina.

"He is. I can see him." I confirmed and nodded seriously. "I don't think he needs to glare at a newspaper article about kunai and shuriken price hikes with his Byakugan on. He usually does that with his normal eyes."

Well maybe if we weren't Branchies, then we wouldn't need to worry about buying supplies.

"Well it's not my fault I stole his fish sticks! I didn't even know it was his! Akane-san put it on my plate anyway!" He complained quickly and quietly, making weird hand movements. I sighed, deactivating my Byakugan. "He's being very has got to stop."

The two exchange skeptical glances. "Follow my lead."Rin nodded and Obito looked like he wanted to melt in the floor. I deactivated my Byakugan and fished out my text books and wrote notes for tomorrows quiz, and the other two did the same. I heard the door open and the voice that followed. "I'm home." She called. I stopped writing and nodded to Obito, he gulped. I heard my mom and dad talking. We exited my sanctuary.

"Hi mom," I greeted, hugging her briefly. "Hello, Akane-san." The other two said in unison. I grabbed her hand. "Mom, Rin-chan has a question about Medical Ninjutsu." I lied.

Rin nodded, catching on. "It's true, Akane-san. Could you please come with us?" We pushed my ruffled looking mother into my room and slid the door shut. I activated my Byakugan and eyed my dad at the edge of my near 360 vision. He was _still_ staring with Byakugan. My mom sat on my bed and began. "It is about your father, correct?" She sighed when she saw us (mostly just Obit) nodding profusely. "I'm sorry, I am to be blamed." She began explaining when she saw the shock in our faces. "I may have joked with your father about you and Obito-kun making a cute couple."

I blanched at her and Obito turned red and spluttered "I joked how the Hyūga and the Uchiha need to finally mend their ties as fellow villagers and I said that an arranged marriage would not be the least unusual between clans. He might have taken that too seriously." She finished, looking sheepish. Rin, who was not at all affected, asked the first question and most important question that could determine our friendship with Obito

"So he's okay with the fish sticks?"

Mom looked confused for a minute and made a sound like she remembered something important. "I do not think he remembers it to be honest. I believe he was plotting the most inconspicuous and cleanest way of assassinating someone from a prestigious clan." Obito paled, gaped and held his hands with his face "What did I do to deserve this" he groaned. I patted his back awkwardly, trying to comfort his still hard, no matter how silly the situation despite me chuckling.

What a stereotypical dad. Jesus Christ.

"What should we do, Akane-san?" Rin said seriously.

"Do not worry; I will talk to your father." She stood up and activated her Byakugan; her activated eye seemingly glowed with malice yet her face calm and serene. The air turned cold with malice and pure evil. She embodied a snow storm in her wake. I could have sworn ice was forming at the walls. We gulped. She opened the door and closed it all too quickly. I contemplated if I should activate my Byakugan so I could see what she's doing.

"Fun fact, you guys?" I whispered to my conspirators. "She was known as the 'Cold Blooded, One-Eyed Beauty' by her peers." I didn't know if that was true. I only learnt that from other Hyūgas as I walk by. 'How's the One-Eyed Beauty?' an older man told me. He began a long tale of adventures of this certain Branchy that could freeze people in her wake. I didn't know if it was literal.

"Honey? What's wrong?" I heard muttering before inhumane screams filled our house.

"NO! NO! NOT THAT! ANYTHING BUT THAT! AAAAGH!"

The house shook and quieted. I heard the cracking of eggs and the boiling of tea. We stared at the door for a second longer and Rin cleared her throat. We continued to study till mom reared her head again. "Dinner is ready, children." She announced. We walked to our respective chairs separated our chop sticks. "Thank you for the food." We muttered. I eyed dad, who looked calm and peaceful. "Obito-kun," Obito instantly turned his attention and said a flustered "Yes?" He looked nervous, my dad pointed at the soy sauce and he passed it.

When dinner finished and table and dishes were clean, Obito and Rin took off. "Thank you for the food, Akane-san." Obito said gratefully, patting his belly. We said our goodbyes, dad muttered something and went to bed. My mom glanced at me innocently "Something wrong, dear?" She smiled.

Are all medic-nins that scary?

I dreamt of rabbits on the moon. One of them seemed so cheerful to see me. I couldn't hear what it was saying. Its voice sounded like it (or I) was underwater because it was kind of understandable. Sound waves can't travel in space. What was it doing? Warning me? I couldn't tell, honestly. I only focused on its happy face and depressing eyes.

* * *

The bell rang, signifying the end of the day, me, Rin and Obito walked to the crossroads of the Hyūga and the Uchiha compound. "Be there by six, okay? I might need help with the fish; mom might still be at the hospital, so..." I said to Obito who rolled his eyes. "C'mon, Kina-chan, I'm not always late." Me and Rin gave him equally disbelieving looks. He had the decency to look embarrassed. Sure, Obito. Tell yourself that. 'The boy who was late in the ceremony' says he wasn't late. How absolutely precious.

"Anyway, see you guys later." I waved them off. I walked to my house with a spring to my step.

"I'm home." I announced, sliding the door. Huh, that's weird. This is usually the part where a least one of them greets me, but it seems there was nobody here. I shrugged and left my shoes outside and set my back at the counter, heating tea and inspecting the fridge for anything I felt like eating. When I saw nothing I craved, I walked out to the backyard to train and formed the snake seal and activated my Byakugan.

I immediately picked up on a chakra signature but it vanished in an instant. I stood still, using my sharp and near three-sixty degree vision. I can't see that far ahead yet, but damn was the world crisp, clearer and better looking than a 1080p video. I immediately saw a small green snake slither slowly to me. Its emerald scales glinting in the afternoon light, yellow eyes staring at me. That is one beautiful snake.

You know, other than our class rep. Bitch thought she was hot shit, can't even tell Khaki from Cream!

I walked slowly towards it; I saw it tense ever so slightly but made no qualms of moving away. I don't know what came over me but I held a finger near its head. It slithered near me and coiled around my index finger and slithered around my arm, its cold body pressed against mine probably relishing in the body heat. I held my arm out, its shiny scales reflecting some light and making a rainbow. I deactivated my Byakugan.

"Beautiful." I murmured. What's so scary about snakes anyway? I think their majestic honestly. I always wanted to have one as a pet in my past life, maybe a harmless corn snake or something, but I knew I would never feed it and it would end up dying because of my negligence. I never kept any white jeans because I couldn't trust myself to maintain the damn thing. Stains and dirt hidden behind an innocent black or denim was my style. I carefully stroked its head. Oooh, its head is so smooth.

"I see you have found one of my summonses." A raspy voice said, I jumped and turned around quickly, my new friend not enjoying the change in speed and momentum hissed. I froze. Holy shit.

"Sannin-san." I said dumbly, my eyes probably in shock. His yellow slit eyes quirked in amusement "Are you Hyūga Tokina?" He asked.

Holy shit. Why is Orochimaru here? In my backyard? While I'm home alone? Holy hell, if this was planned, then...Oh my God, where are my parents? I'm pretty sure that he's experimenting on kids right about now, I'm not really sure what, if it's the Wood-Release one or the Cursed Seal of Heaven. Either way, only one person survived those two experiments and I am not willing to try it. I realized that I haven't answered his question yet and I replied with a curt and tense "Yes, Sannin-sama"

"I have a letter from your parents. They are in a long mission, spying in Iwagakure." He said formally, his serpentine smile still plastered on his face. "Nobody knows how long it might take. A week perhaps? Maybe a month?" Bad things just keep happening to me, huh? First a child murderer then my parents are now behind enemy lines? What the hell? I opened the letter and yes. It was written by my dad, it had his stamp, printed name and signature on it. I should analyze it for anagrams, who knows if Orochimaru did something to them. I was about to thank him when he interrupted me.

"Irritating, is it not?" He said, gauging my reaction. When my face remained impassive, he continued on "This war is such a bothersome. Many lives have been taken and are being taken right now and we cannot do anything about it." He said walking towards me. I stood my ground. Where is this leading to? Why is he telling me this? "All the Shinobi here want to die an honorable death. Dying for the village is the highest honor here in Konoha. Do you want an honorable death, Tokina?" He eyed me, his slit eyes flashed with something I couldn't discern. I'm pretty sure a Sannin could read lies and _the_ snake Sannin at that, I opted to be honest. "No, I do not, Sannin-sama" I said in calm surprising me because inside, I was panicking and felt my everything turn to jelly, my danger radars blearing through my ears but I could do nothing about it.

"Oh? Why is that, Tokika-chan?" His raspy voice drawled and lowered himself as I met face to face with him.

"I do not want to die, Sannin-sama. I want to live." I tried to hide my nervous fidgeting. Didn't work, obviously. Can you blame me? I'm fucking 5!

He smiled and retracted. He shrugged nonchalantly and shook his head. "Don't we all? I am happy that you have self-preservation in you, Tokina-chan. A lot of great Shinobi died because they lacked it." He then kneeled before my and clasped my hands with his pale ones.

"Be my apprentice, Tokina-chan." He said, the signature serpentine smile still there with his high cheekbones yet this voice entirely in a no-bullshit tone. The snake I had all but forgotten tightened its hold on my arm ever so slightly. Ah, the snake was a trap. It was probably planned then, me picking up the snake, him using his silver tongue to make it seem natural then bust this question out of the blue, asking but really commanding. "I am not one of those teachers who would make you throw away your self-preservation. I will help you break your barriers and your limits to help you survive in this world." Damn him, he's charismatic ill give him that. "The training might be as intense as whatever you Hyūgas do but I promise it will be worth it." He said quickly, his eyes seemingly giving off malicious intent, or maybe excitement, that or it's just my imagination.

It was so painfully obvious that he wanted me as an experiment. Maybe not _painfully_ obvious, but since I knew what he really was (well, to be fair, the other two Sannin and Hirzuen knew but they kept turning their cheek and hoping he'll change). He was a demon that would pursue his goals till the ends of the Earth. Hell, I wasn't sure if he _was_ fucking earthbound.

I scrambled for a reason. "I'm barely a genin, Sannin-san." I reasoned weekly. It seems he came prepared for this. Like a true businessman. A really fucked up business man.

Aren't all businessmen kinda fucked up in their own way?

"Then you will be excused for the rest of the academy year, you still have to take the genin exams and you still have to learn the basic of jutsu but with more _worthwhile_ lessons in the mix." He countered, ugh. I know what he's doing and I know I'm falling for it but even I say no, he might just outright kidnap me. I inwardly cursed myself, closed my eyes and tried to get into terms with my chaotic fate. What the hell can I do? He's experienced while I was literally just born a few years ago.

"Please teach me, Orochimaru-shishou." I grunted out dejectedly mostly out of rational fear for my life. Who knows what he might do to me if I refused? He wasn't constricted by the norms of being a human, if he is one that is. I shuddered at the thought of what could have happened to me. Hell, I wasn't even sure what was going to happen to me tomorrow!

He chuckled his dark and slightly irritating chuckle "Wise choice." His raspy voice sounded amusedly. Hell, I was pretty sure this was a low-key threat at its finest. Am I going to get snake summons, though? That would be so cool and creepy, I love it. I wouldn't need to do any work, just summon a viper and BAM donezo. Maybe I could poison him while he's asleep. Is he even immune to poisons? "I have yet to get the paperwork from the Hokage yet." He let himself murmur. Orochimaru was actually lazy. Who would have thought? He's probably down playing his murderer act, though, probably making me think that everything is going to be just peachy and wonderful.

I gaped as he summoned a big purple snake out of nowhere.

Okay, maybe a little bit of fear but mostly shock and amazement.

He smirked and stroked the giant creature like a fluffy dog. "Maybe if you show enough potential, I might be let you sign my scroll but otherwise; I'll expect great things from you. Meet me at Training Ground 6 at 5am. Do try not to let me down." He turned around and added something as an afterthought "And don't be late." He said and vanished with the show-offy whatever that was.

Now how do I explain this to my friends and family...

I'll cross that bridge when I get there.

I entered the house with letter and instantly plopped down. What have I got myself into? First, you let yourself befriend the main enemy of the whole world known as Uchiha Obito, second you befriend his wanted but destined to die girlfriend Nohara Rin and now you go and fucking figuratively sign a contract to one of Naruto's biggest, baddest, most inhumane and downright beautiful villains! The Orochimaru! What the fuck happened to live low even though fate just decided to put you in a clan that could otherwise kill you! I clutched the letter in my hand, remembering that _'oh right, this world has its own problems and my parents are out there to solve it_.'

I opened the letter that smelled of chemicals and ink. A sign that this really was from my parents.

 _"Dear Tokina_

 _Our leave has expired and we must return to the active roster. A war might be looming upon us so the Hokage wants to get enough information as possible. We won't be risking letters as it might endanger our cover. We hope you understand._

 _Then mom's clean and text book calligraphy was replaced with dad's scrawly chicken scratch._

 _ **Be safe, work with the project without me for now. I expect you to be able to at least do half of the project. Don't do anything you wouldn't do if we were in the same room and-**_

 _At this, black ink made broken lines towards the end of the paper like it was being torn away."_

 _Take Care. Love, Mom and Dad_

Huh, either they overestimated my anagram reading powers or they really were no hidden messages. They could have been kidnapped by Orochimaru, the snake-devil, for all I know. My parents think I'm such a prodigy but honestly the reason why I'm by definition 'good' is that I have more attention span than the normal cattle. You would need that to survive college, specifically for the History of Music class. We didn't go there to learn why Beethoven died dammit, we came in there to make music! I couldn't help but sigh irritably at my face as I began preparing a meal for one for the first time in a while. Beef Soup to cheer me up.

I heard knocking and my name wing called by a high pitched boyish voice that desperately needs a whack with the puberty stick. "Hey, Kina-chan, we came to visit!" He called out and let himself in.

Fuck, I completely forgot about them. I heard them knock again. "Tokina-chan, we're here! Sorry about Obito, he got caught up with-" muttering from the said boy while the girl continued her sentence/alibi "With helping grannies with their groceries." Well, it seems I have to cross that bridge soon then. I walked in front of the door and sighed. I am not in the mood to be all cheery and joyful when I literally just told Orochimaru that, yes, I do want to kill myself. I couldn't help but chuckle.

Been there, done that.

Obito entered and instantly went to my food while Rin gave me an assessing look. "What?" I asked pointedly. She pursed her lips. "Something's wrong. You seem sad."

I was about to defend myself but Rin gave the most guilt tripping face a five year old could make and, with a sigh I reluctantly gave her the letter. I let her read it before explaining the scaly situation. After she finished reading she looked at me apologetically. "Oh, Kina-chan." She hugged me. I don't know why, honestly. Maybe she thought I was one of those paranoid children who thought their parents would never come back. I knew my parents. My mom could poison anything, and my dad could probably seal a person's chakra in under five seconds. I was a bit worried though.

"I'm fine, Rin. That's not the problem." I confessed. She let go of me and dragged my problematic add to the backyard. She looked at me expectantly. Here it goes. "Orochimaru is my new Shishou. I won't be attending the academy anymore." Rin looked happy for me, though. If only I shared her sentiments. I knew too much, anyway. "Wow, Tokina-chan! That's great, one of the legendary Sannin!" She chirped as she began her fan girl-ing. "What's so wrong about that?" She innocently smiled at me. Oh, to be young and naive again.

Oh wait...

"He kind of forced me to? I don't know; that's what I feel like he did." I confessed. I explained to her how there was a snake that could probably use genjutsu to make me go to it, how he fed me all his crap, his real crap, and put me in a tight spot. I told her how this might be related to my parents new mission. When I stopped to breath, Rin looked mildly nervous for me but said nothing. I breathed in and continued. "…But more importantly, why me?" I asked myself, Rin just being a witness to my inner musings and turmoil "What would a legendary Sanin want with a random _branch_ member of a Hyūga?" Maybe he wanted to fatten me up before his Byakugan research or something? Or to handle The Cursed Seal of Heaven or Earth? "It just feels so random."

"You're a prodigy, Kina-chan? You're like the second in class, if it wasn't for your..." Rin waved her hand, searching for a not so mean wording of inability to do a basic Elemental Ninjutsu

"…Inept ninjutsu skills?" I offered

She sighed, meaning she couldn't find the right words to soften the blow. "Yeah, that, you would have beaten Kakashi-san for that spot!" She said dreamy eyed. Then she remembered he was trying to convince me that I was a prodigy and instantly turned red, she cleared her throat and continued. "Look at it this way; do you know anyone who has manifested their Byakugan at your age?" She glared determinedly

"I'm pretty sure the Main-house people require an early aged Byakugan."

She pointedly ignored my answer "Do you know anyone in your age that could seal up faster than you?" She continued.

"I'm pretty sure that kid from class five could, I heard he got an instant five in Taijutsu." I replied with curious thought, my head tilted to the side and everything. Yeah, he even had a weird ass bowl haircut and a red scarf. A perfect anime character get-up. He looked familiar though. I really did not want to think that was what Gai looked like as a kid, a literal snot-nosed brat.

"Okay, fine! How about knowing a lot of stuff that not even chunin would know?!" She pointed like she caught me doing a bad deed.

"I'm pretty sure Kakashi-"

"That's not the point!" She screeched irritably and exasperatedly all the while Rin glared at me with the intensity of a thousand suns. Who is this demon called Rin? Jesus, making a woman who didn't flinch at any Resident Evil game or Final Destination movie until this random girlie fucking pulls out that face? "The point is that your great, Hyūga Tokina, and you should be grateful that one of the Sanin is basically tutoring you!" She finished exasperatedly and smiled like she successfully convinced me that it wasn't my so called ' _prodigious talents'_ that enticed him but me probably being an able contestant in ' _Who can handle the Cursed Seal of Heaven'_ game "But you and Obito..." I countered weekly

"-Can take of ourselves, seriously don't bother. Your parents made sure we can." She smiled fondly. I chuckled. "Your right, I guess" I offered reluctantly at the proud girl. Rin jabbed a finger at me "Of course I am! Now come on, dinner isn't going to make itself!"

We walked back inside the kitchen and prepared dinner, when we were setting up the plates, Obito came to the room looking ruffled and wet. What the hell? I tilted my head as Rin sighed exasperatedly. "Don't ask." He said red faced and ashamed of himself

After dinner and the impromptu retelling of my current life's problems, I saw them off like any other good five year old would. Oh wait. Maybe ' _like any other reincarnated five year old_ ' would have been more accurate. Oh well. "Are you sure about this? My parents wouldn't mind me sleeping over." Rin offered.

"I don't have parents." Obito shrugged in a deadpan.

Holy shit that was fucked up. I felt myself twitch a little bit guiltily. My poor orphaned Uchiha baby.

Rin cleared her throat, "A-Anyway," she tried to regain her composure. "I'm fine, you guys. It's not the end of the world" Rin looked unconvinced while Obito gave me a thumbs up as they walked away "Good luck on your first day of training tomorrow!" He waved. I waved back.

I went inside and closed the door. The house didn't seem so cold before. I sighed. Maybe the insulator was acting up again. I went outside to check our wiring. I couldn't help but stare at the white rabbit, hare or whatever who was watching me intently as a blue monarch butterfly fluttered to me. It perched on my right shoulder as I shook myself.

Well, that was a Disney princess moment.

* * *

I stared up the stars and Earth. The voices and the rabbit stopped seeing me.

I felt lost for some reason.

A white and yellow butterfly appeared out of the stardust and flew past me. Without any reason not to, I followed them.

* * *

AN.

Okay, confession? I'm literally changing A LOT of things from the original draft of 3xIs. Like, this chapter? Tokina _was_ supposed to have the snake summon and have this personal summon called Saheel (even watched this really really _really_ good documentary about King Cobras) but that would feel like cheating. So I'm scrapping, adding and adjusting the story to my ideas. So, 1 chapter per week in fear of running out of chapters as I happily edit :)

Also, birthday yesterday. All I did was write, edit, play and lie down. Basically best birthday ever.

Have a nice life if you could help it! ALL THE REVIEWS WERE REALLY NICE! LIKE, THANK YOU!

also, friggin' making all the subtraction/dash signs go byebye when I edit here. I have to use them for line breaks in my phone, dammit.


	4. Chapter 4: Mid Summer Snake's Dream 1

AN.

My response to all the reviews of the last chapter? Oh my sweet, sweet children...

:)

I also don't own Naruto. Don't sue me.

* * *

I arrived at Training Ground Six ten minutes earlier than necessary with a book and a pen, a kaleidoscope of butterflies fluttering near me. It was just like, two or three but they friggin' found me wherever I went. It was creepy and slightly offending. Did I smell or something? It gave me weird stares for the people who were already awake. With a sigh, I entered the training grounds, the swarm finally dispersing to god knows where.

Being a Disney princess in a ninja world? Annoying. Well, so was this training ground. It gave off a weird and malicious vibe for some reason...

"Boo." A raspy voice surprised me, directly behind my blind-spot, which was really small, mind you. I rolled forward, trying to distance myself as much as possible and threw the senbon at the offending person. He dodged it seamlessly, his body twisting and turning that was impossible for a normal human. He smiled at me, tongue out.

I never thought Orichimaru was a prankster. A lethal prankster, but still a prank; even though it wasn't entirely harmless. _My poor heart_. I did _not_ deactivate my Byakugan though, it might be a test. Some weird test that tested my suspicion and paranoia as a ninja? I don't know, could never tell with this guy after this. Always thought he was a homicidal maniac 24/7.

I greeted him "Shishou," I bowed. He seemed faintly amused "You have nice reflexes and decent speed. Your sensing needs work, although with a little practice..." He assessed my five year old 'skills' thoughtfully, his yellow eyes glinting. I widened my eyes in slight fear and respect. He got all that from scaring me to death? To be fair he is one of _the_ Sannin. I'm pretty sure they're over powered in their own rights. I mean, Tsunade has friggin' super strength (which I'm sure was downplayed majorly in the anime because reasons) and Jiraya is Jiraya. 'Nough said. "But enough of this." He waved his hand.

"I want you to show me the three basic academy Ninjutsu," he commanded, amusement lost yet his face still warped with a smile. From what I can tell? He was just bored and toying with me. I showed him a near perfect clone technique (why is your head white and wavey?) , a substitution with a conveniently placed leaf and a transformation jutsu of my dad (pretentious prick made me practice him). He nodded, he pointed at a specific leaf at the tree that he was hiding from. "Hit that leaf and just that leaf with a kunai, shuriken and senbon without your Byakugan."

What. Um, okay…

I deactivated my Byakugan and prepared a kunai from one of my holsters and threw it. It wasn't even close. Snake-Shishou made a sound of disapproval. I threw a shuriken at the leaf yet it arc'ed around it. I'm telling you, deadly Frisbees aren't that cool. They are majorly overhyped you fidget spinning weirdoes. Orochimaru glared at the shuriken that continued spinning away into the sunset and I felt myself sweat. Okay, I can do this. I twirled a senbon around my finger tips then threw it. It pierced the leaf by the edge. "Good enough," he drawled as he rolled his eyes. Well sorry if I wasn't born a prodigy like you. Not everyone can get a snake summon from the graves of their parents. Hmph.

"Now show me that famed Jyūken the Hyūga keep bragging about," he drawled "You may activate your Byakugan," he said as an afterthought. Was it even supposed to be an afterthought? It's a given.

He distanced himself. "Whenever you're ready," I activated my Byakugan and got into an offensive stance. He leapt forward and saw Orochimaru tensed with anticipation an dodged my attacks to the left literally with his hands behind his back. I jabbed for his head and he crouched, I tried to kick him but he jumped out of the way. I jabbed him once more and he caught the hand and pushed it away, losing my balance, I adjusted. He chuckled sinisterly,

Okay, Taijutsu test. I refuse to fail this. I quickly got into a familiar stance, my body low and my arms rose. Orochimaru quirked an eyebrow up and made an 'oh?' sound. He's in range, and he could probably block it but this was just a test anyway. I leapt forward with an insane speed and aimed for the tenketsu point at the left of his heart and middle thigh with chakra at the same time with 2 palms He caught the one reaching his heart but not the one near his thigh. He dodged the four palms with insane speed. He let out a small surprised sound and chuckled "perfect" he drawled, I began trying to rapidly seal him up, two tenketsu points at a time, he blocked all of 16 palms. I stomped on his foot, he clearly did not expect that and he winced, I used that as an opening and began the rapid jabs which he couldn't block at the time. The beauty of the Eight Triagrams Palm technique is that once you start, you can't stop, if the enemy let you touch the part where you're aiming for, they won't be able to dodge or block. Unless, you know, he friggin blocks it with his sheer skill when I tried doing another 16, me being a slowass. I infused the last jab with a little bit more force than necessary and pushed him away after.

"Eight Triagrams: 32 Palms," I muttered while I tried to regain my breathing. That wasn't even close to fucking 32 palms. It was like, hit your opponent 32 times and see what happens. Now I just add thirty two more and I'll be Neji good. Orochimaru looked pissed though, so that's something. Even with his perpetually smirking face, he still looked irratated "Is that not a Main Branch Hiden Technique? Did you somehow manage to steal it? And stepping on my foot? What are you, 2?" He said slowly looming over me, his face contorted into a wicked grin, "I wouldn't say steal..." I said weakly, "More like stalkingtherlderwhilehewastrainingImrannobiggeright?" I muttered quickly, his grin, somehow, became wider. "We are going to have a fun time together, Tokina-chan," he drawled sadistically

My mouth dried.

How did I end up in this situation?

* * *

Like what he promised, Snake-shishou's training regimen was intense and physically, chakra and sometimes mentally drainingly intense. Is drainingly even a word? Whatever, He improved my speed and made me not so hopeless with throwing things other than senbons (fuck shurikens, though). He thought me how to use my senses better and quickened my handseals, like how to be a tracker and the basics of not just using my Byakugan to see everything. I monopolized being alone in the house to practice my deadly 32 but I keep messing up while thinking about _how the fuck did Neji do this?_ That usually led to me being exhausted at the end of the day not due to my chakra pool, which was still big for some reason and growing mind you, but because this body is too damn fragile. The fact a five year old is learning how to kill still seems so foreign to me in this war-torn excuse of a universe. I tried desperately to juggle studies and social life but thankfully, they understood my busy schedule. They tried to keep me alive and healthy and not socially deprived. Obito finally got over his fear of snakes (Orochimaru being a paranoid and conniving bastard) and Rin managed to get desensitized enough to call them cute. She usually asked me if I could get a sample of their poison for her to study. She managed to get an apprenticeship in the local hospital. Good for her. My parents are still at their mission, five months later and still not getting any information if their still alive or what. It was getting pretty irritating, honestly. The weekly dinners still continued, thankfully. It gave me an incentive to go outside and buy stuff and function like a normal human amongst other fellow humans.

"So," Obito began, "Are you going to take the Genin exam? I heard you're qualified to take it early." He said with a tinge of envy "Huh, must be the war." I replied. "They say that we might need to bust out more soldiers, though." I continued. "I'll ask Orochimaru-shishou." I concluded. Obito nodded and Rin looked us exasperatedly. "What?" I asked. "Kina-chan, when's the last time you looked at the mirror?" She pointed. "Uh..." Was my intelligible response as Obito snickered. I glared at him, he rolled his eyes. I asked him seriously "What's wrong with my face? I've been getting enough sleep, I swear." Obito leaned in and poked my cheek.

"You have a scar you forgot to heal." He helpfully said.

"Oh really?" I blinked and after a few minutes (minutes too long) I closed the wound. "Maybe I'll also wake up with slits in my eyes and different eye color because of all these snakes in the house, huh?" I joked nonchalantly, and then promptly and justifiably shuddered, ew. That would look so creepy, not that featureless eyes wasn't. Where they glow in the dark, too? I continued my dinner with that train of thought; Obito did the same yet looking confused. "How would that work, though? Don't your eyes do something about it?" He rebuked my theoretical question thoughtfully. I shrugged, "Who knows? It would be _kinda_ cool though." Obito nodded absentmindedly."True," he said "You can become pretty scary if you want to be, Tokina-chan. Combine that with Byakugan and snake eyes and you'll be able to scare the Iwa-nin away and win the war." He joked, I chuckled. "That would be nice." I said longingly. Better than going in there head first. Rin looked at us exasperated and sighed. "I can't believe you would allow all those changes in your body happen." She shook her head in disapproval. "I, for one, would not want slits for eyes."

I shrugged, Obito nodded and muttered "You already have such pretty eyes." under his breath.

I snickered and he turned red. Rin looked at both of us with skepticism and obliviousness. Oh my sweet cinnamon roll who would come to want to see the world trapped in a bigass tree. How cute you can be sometimes.

* * *

I woke up from a nice dream after my nap from Orochimaru giving me laps around Konoha, the sadist. It that involved piano recitals and me conducting it. I sighed wistfully at the memory. That was a good day. My first ever piano recital. Mom was cheering me on while dad, with his impassive and stoic-ness gained from his years in the force, got a camera and low-key filmed the whole thing with nothing but his perpetually raised eyebrow and quirked lip. I'm so glad I didn't get his resting bitchface. He had such a cute, scary and stupid face. After I played Canon, they treated me to really good fast food. I always ordered two piece chickens and fried while the conservative fucks ordered a burger for themselves.

It was a sight to see, an Asian family in a formal get-up walking into a fast food chain. They probably thought we were rich snobs when in reality; they had to earn the wealth they managed to scrounge over. My dad even had to give himself a sick retirement after his second stroke to get a big bonus to allow me to continue my music course after I changed from Political Science.

My heart clenched guiltily. How selfish am I to waste all that hard earned money just to find the embodiment of their love and heart work, cold and dead in the bathtub.

"You selfish prick. They deserved better. Who the hell were you to just up and die?" I smiled bitterly at my idiocy. What the hell was my train of thought back then? So what if I got a low-wage piano gig instead of being a Conductor? 26 and immature, how absolutely disgusting. _Grow up_ they said. If only I listened. Maybe if I just had a little bit more patience...

Two white butterflies danced in front of me as I leaned on the tree. Their little flutters tantalizing me. I lifted a finger as one of them landed on it, their feather light feet brushed my index as the giant wings opened and closed slowly and peacefully. I felt the other one land on my dark-chocolate hair.

"I'm not an anime character." I chuckled as the little thing remained silent and peaceful, opening and closing their fragile yet beautiful and enticing wings. "I'm not over it just because you flew into my life." I expected no answer and got no answer. I took a deep breath to drown-

Wrong word.

Bury the sad and depressing feelings away. I stood up; the two insects flew away to the streets of Konoha, wherever they were going. With Rin and Obito in school and my bones aching from yesterday's practice with Orochimaru (cruel guy making me run around Konoha five times under thirty minutes) I thought, hey, why not be super Disney Princess and follow the butterflies. Who knows, maybe I'll find the love of my life in a beautiful, hidden away grove in Konoha. But wait, the last time I followed beautiful and enticing animals, it led me to the friggin' devil himself.

The sick fucks probably thought I was into MILF or some shit when they fluttered around an old man with long graying hair and a formal Kimono that drooped to the grass inside the fucking cemetery. The Konoha cemetery was beautiful, especially in twilight, but it was still a cemetery nonetheless. Not into that, you sick dicks. We share the same love of oversized things though, so that was a plus.

The old man turned to the side to let the butterfly land on his bony finger. He muttered something to it as if in conversation. Well, old, creepy and crazy. I'm not that pathetic. They did seem to want to make me talk to him. I must be crazy thinking these little bugs can answer all my problems. The old man turned around to walk away. He stopped when someone was in his way. I gave him an awkward wave. He gave me an assessing look hidden away from his bushy eyebrows.

"Why hello there, pretty girl." His old and gentle voice said as he smiled to me. I returned the formality with a bow and a short 'Honored Elder'. He chuckled at my formalities. What, where they out dated or something? "What brings you to Konoha Cemetery in this lovely September 21? Visiting someone important to you?"

No, not really. I kind of threw them away and now I'm trying to find a way to them if I could. But I couldn't say hat to the kind, white haired oldie. He looked so at peace, or maybe that's because his brows were covering his eyes for slits. "Kind off." I shrugged with a tight lipped smile. I couldn't say that I followed two white butterflies to him. How bad would that sound? "They aren't lost, per see. I know where they are but I just don't know if I can go back to them in one piece." I confessed. If re-reincarnation to my old life involved me dying then that would be a major blockade in the road. I'm kind of traumatized, so…

"I see, I see." He nodded to himself, giving off the old careless, deaf and fun loving aura of an old man. Was he, though? You can never really tell with these types. "Tell you what? H ow about I give you a test, ff you pass, then I'll help you get stronger. If you fail, then…" He shrugged. "I dunno, sorry?"

I pursed my lips in thought.

* * *

AN.

Sorry if this chapter was too short (2400+ words only? Oh my.) I usually base the ending of the chapters on how I feel it should end. Does this count as a cliffhanger? If not, hurray and if so, whoops. Thanks for the b-day wishes last chapter! Meant alot to me.

Also, specific response to _**PhilthePhil:**_ Thanks for giving this fic a chance! It really means a lot to me. Also, a little bit pressuring but mostly good feelings.

Also, Jebuus Christ, _ **thanzintay2000**_ : Can't believe you got that from the _first_ chapter. I'm not _confirming_ anything. The **Ice** part of the title could mean a lot of things. Like how number three is to Divine Comedy.

BUT WAIT! **Ice, Eyes and I's** have **3** ' **I** 's in them. Tokina has **3** syllables in it. She is a family of **3** and with her friends, they form a **trio**! Tokina is Dante confirmed?

Okay, last. _**Rose Thorn Catli**_ : How can you even ship them when they haven't interacted yet? Don't worry gurl, your not alone. I, too, am an advocate of shipping people that aren't meant to be. Not confirming anything. Romance or even _Potential_ romance is like, super far in the story.

Thanks again for the reviews! And for overall giving this fanfic a chance among the masterpieces in the Naruto Universe. Have a good life! (Me going to try and enter college via exam. Amma try and fix my life for once) and have a great day! :)

(any misspellings and grammar errors, I blame on my eyes and Word)


	5. Chapter 5: Mid Summer Snake's Dream 2

AN.

Slight trigger warning for people who are **against romanticizing death**. I mean, if you killed yourself I'm sure you would have the license to joke about killing yourself.

Should I have put a trigger warning for that joke to?

Eh. I hope you enjoy this chapter.

* * *

I woke up feeling fresh and raring to go, a universal sign of the start of a great day. With a smile and a stretch, I got up from my futon and began eating the shit Snake-shishou wanted me to. Ninja Diet and all that. It had a lot of meat in it so it was done. It's not like they would give me SQUID or something. I shuddered at the memory of being forced to eat one of the gummy pink tentacles.

No.

Just.

No.

I packed my lunch and immediately went to Training Ground 6, with my Byakugan active. I scanned the trees around me, already expecting him to try and kill me from the get go. I focused on a suspicious looking bush in the middle of all the trees, barks and dummies. I'm pretty sure he wasn't trying. Or holding back which was highly unlikely. I don't know, can't tell what the hell is up with his head. I threw a kunai at it while subsequently drawing a senbon in my left to defend myself with.

A large purple boa was seemingly shot from the bush. I side stepped and stabbed its head mid air while it made a gross squelching sound. I shuddered and flinched, letting the senbon go. That was disgusting and also a mistake. I gasped and drew two more senbon to block the grinning Orochimaru who had a legit sword.

In training.

Against a five year old.

Who isn't genin.

The fuck is wrong with him?!

My surprise seemed to be shown on my face since he cackled while long needles and sword met, making a horrid scraping sound. "My, my, what a greeting to give your mentor." He joked while I exerted a lot of effort to at least make him use both hands. The bitch had a hand on his hip. He looked at my form with a frown "You're doing it all wrong. Use your wrist to-"

His blade skidded to the ground as I overwhelmed him with the flick of the wrist. I smirked at him cheekily before trying to stab his tenketsu points with my needles. Yeah, use your wrist to direct the blades; I got that after trying to overwhelm you didn't work I mean, what was I actually expecting? THE Orochimaru holding back just for his _itty-bitty_ genin apprentice? Hah, the stars will fall before that shit ever happens. The madman kills KAGES out of boredom. He kicked my right senbon away as he plucked the one on the right away.

I disengaged with wide eyes as he twirled the one on my left with a smile. "Cheeky brat, aren't you? How does five laps around Konoha sound? Your endurance doesn't seem to be at least below average." He frowned, holding my papers. I inwardly hissed at the papers and his order. So I don't exercise every single day. Whoop-dee-do, do you realize how big Konoha is you overachieving prick?! He seemed to sense my distaste since he chuckled sadistically. "Five laps under thirty minutes. Let's train your speed as well."

I didn't risk groaning.

Poor Rin, though. Having a sweaty and exhausted Tokina to have an afternoon snack with. Obito was off training or stalking the silver (Rin corrected me with a huff that day I asked his name) haired kid that was actually The Hatake Kakashi.

Shame.

He looked cuter in the anime. Maybe that was just me. I took a quick shower before going to that new desert store she recommended. With my lazily put Kimono Shirt get up, I plopped down the seat in front of her and immediately put my head down on the table. She was used to me being tired anyway. Not that she had eye bags (which she masked expertly thanks to Kunoichi classes that I am not attending because I am excused for all academy bullshit.) from reading stuff about poisons or medical ninjutsu. I heard her chuckle at my suffering, the tiny sadist.

"Hard day?" She singsonged. I looked up at her who, using my Byakugan for a quick second to confirm my suspicion, was hiding her smirk behind a menu. These brats are so cheeky it's irritating. I'm the cheeky one dammit. It's one of my endearing character traits. "I had to run around Konoha five times in thirty minutes. My legs are killing me." She gave me a 'wow, you actually managed it?' look before snickering at my aching muscles.

"He's a Sanin, Tokina-chan. I'm sure he knows what he's doing." She reasoned as she called the waiter. I trusted her judgment. Besides, she knew that I wouldn't take anything else other than chocolate and or vanilla. Green Tea Ice cream? In this country? It's basically asking water for sauce. The cute waiter I so would have hit on if I was my older self and not socially inept gave us our order, a strawberry sundae for Rin and a Chocolate Cheese cake for me. I yawned before digging in. Should I have ordered water instead of tea? I mean, I have chakra to heal me anyway.

"Hey, can ninja get tonsillitis?" I asked her. She was going to be a medic, anyway. It was worth a short. I'm still going to drown myself-

Wrong word.

-Drink a gallon of water just to be sure. I don't like that sticky feeling in my throat. It's like a sign that you'll wake up with a sore throat and a bad mood. She looked thoughtful for a second. "I think so, unless that ninja can heal themselves. Otherwise we're just normal humans with the same body systems." I nodded at her answer. It sounds right. Not like we're so superhuman we don't get fevers and the like. That would be useful though.

I bid farewell to my girlie friend as I walked home with a takeout bottle of water to sip on the way back. I was all sun shine and smiles. That feeling when you hung out with a friend? That was the feeling I had and it was a feeling I missed. Maybe living isn't so bad after all. I let a butterfly land on my finger before it took flight once more. I watched it flutter to the sunset, giving off a moment that, If I had a camera, that would have made a great background for my computer.

Oh wait, no computers.

I sighed irritably. Why do I do this to myself? Don't think about the internet, Tokina. It will only end in suffering. I entered the house and took out the leftovers from last night's dinner party (Rin's dinner omelettes being to die for) and heated it in the toaster oven because I was such a lazy bitch who didn't bother putting a pan, oil and wait for two minutes. I ate in silence as I watched an owl fly by my window with a mouse on its talons. Such is the way of life I suppose. I washed my dishes, took another bath and went to sleep, resting my bones, groaning at the feeling of soft cushions and fluffy pillows.

* * *

I woke up, the tiredness gone from me instantly. Maybe Rin was right with the whole ninja chakra training bullshit she fed me the other day. I rolled my shoulders experimentally while I was still in bed. I stood up and did a few experimental stretches. Nope. Nothing. Perfect!

I began continuing the diet Snake-Shishou ordered me to eat. It might be all dandy and tasty but just you wait, I'm going to get sick of this one day and I'll start begging for veggies and fish. I drank my milk an washed my dishes and did all the normal morning routines a regular human being does.

Did I count as regular human being? I shrugged. "Eh, probably not." I blinked and snickered. Oh god, so much for hoping that talking to myself bad habit wasn't inherited. I walked back to Training Ground Six, my Byakugan already raring to go. I readied three senbons on my right and a kunai on my left to defend myself with. Since speed and endurance was focused yesterday then I'm sure that he wanted to go do an all out attack.

I blinked at the suspicious looking bush. Really? Did he underestimate me that much? I know I'm not Jonin level, you dick, but I was trying dammit. At least give me some respect! Maybe I should train my Byakugan like dad's. His is renowned for being the clearest, best and purposely trained it so he could remember the color of people's chakra. It looked like it took too much effort though. One thing at a time, Tokina. First, is your ass of a Shishou to deal with. I threw the three senbons at it subsequently in a straight line, piercing the boa hiding it. I whirled around and deflected the sword that cane out of nowhere, using my kunai to deflect it.

I got it, use my wrist, Jesus Christ. I'm not inept, you cuck. I made him skid his sword to the ground before engaging him in taijutsu, trying to pierce his skin with the kunai. I threw it at him and disengaged. He dodged it with a smirk. He rushed forward and delivered a round house kick to my stomach.

"Oof!"

"Ah, ah. How sloppy." He kneeled next to me as I clutched my poor stomach, using chakra to heal it. "I'm sure five laps around Konoha under thirty minutes would fix that slow reaction time of yours." I paled and outwardly groaned. Again? With a stomach injury? The sadist snorted. "You should get to it if you want to go home early." He said as he body flickered away, the dick.

After showering and relieving some of my tense muscles, I met up with Rin for another afternoon snack. "So, where do you wanna eat? Somewhere with comfy seats I hope." I questioned her, giving a sideways lance. So I wanted to put my butt into something soft? Sue me for being human with human needs. Konoha restaurants have NO idea how to serve customers. I get it, Wood-Release from the first Hokage is amazing but it wouldn't kill them to maybe just _maybe_ add a cushion or something if it wasn't too troublesome. These people stab others for a daily living, I'm sure they could afford a cheap butt cushion, not the ones you sit on. Cotton? No. Give me feathers. She hummed thoughtfully. "I heard about this new desert place. Want to check it out?" She recommended with a polite smile.

I gave her a tight lipped smile and an amused raised eyebrow. "Sweets again? I'm craving vegetables myself." She looked baffled but continued walking next to me.

"What are you talking about? It just recently opened." She pouted her childish and heart wrenching pout. I tilted my head. Woah, I get it girlie. You like your sweets. "Fine, fine. Let me see if I have a few ryō socked away." I got out my bunny wallet and opened it to see my one thousand ryō bills staring innocently at me. I blinked. I was pretty sure I spent sox hundred yesterday. I closed it with a smile and gavea thumbs up to the girl who left who whooped for joy for more sweets.

Guess someone was looking out for me, huh?

When our orders came in (Me ordering a Desert Crepe instead) I couldn't help but snickered at Rin's addiction to their strawberry sundae. "You really like strawberry, huh?" I couldn't help but chuckle at the brunette's obvious pleasure. She nodded furiously with a spoon in her mouth. I took a bite of my crepe, the delicious vanilla and banana tickling my taste buds. Mmmm, so good.

"We should definitely come back here again." Rin declared and continued ravaging her Strawberry Sundae. I tilted my head. "We already went here yesterday, though." I reasoned. I don't want diabetes this early in my life. Wait no; I don't like diabetes in general. I don't want an arm or a leg cut from my body which I need to at least _try_ and live my second chance. I could always kill myself since death just led to another world; I mean no biggie, right? "Huh?" She blinked at me and swallowed the cold contents in her mouth. "This is our first time here, Tokina-chan."

Now it was my turn to blink at her. "No it's not. We even had a talk about ninja tonsillitis right? You said that if there was a ninja out there who could use his chakra to passively heal his wounds then he would he immune to it." I reminded her with a bite of my diminishing crepe.

Her eyes widened. "I literally just read that chapter of my medical-ninjutsu book today, Tokina-chan."

After that, I just feigned ignorance and blamed it on my exhaustion. Despite the act, I knew that went to that shop yesterday. Walking back home with another water bottle to sip on I saw a blue Monarch flutter past by me innocently. I sipped on my straw and opened the door. I took a bath with thoughts of dinner and bed. I opened the fridge to see Rin's half finished dinner Omelette. I narrowed my eyes at it.

"Wha...?"

I picked it up gingerly and heated it up in the toaster oven. I put the plate in my small coffee table and ate it.

An Owl fluttered by with a mouse in its talons while I dug in, savoring the assorted meats and vegetables.

...am I forgetting something?

* * *

I blinked up the ceiling once more. The exhaustion I had for two days straight was gone. What the hell is going on? I got out of my bed in a flash, opening the fridge to see Rin's dinner Omelette and Orochimaru's diet food staring at me innocently. I blinked at it, my heart racing.

Something's wrong.

Something is definitely wrong.

I put on my Kimono Shirt get up and a few weapons just in case; I got out of the house and locked the door. This is the part where I go to Training Ground Six, Orochimaru is going to make me run around Konoha five times and I'm going to eat in that desert place with Rin again then I'm going to insist on us already eating there once more. She's going to deny that. I'm going to walk home with a bottle of water and her omelette is going to be right there.

What day is it anyway?

Ignoring my total ineptitude in social skills, I pulled the shoulder of a nice looking old lady. "Excuse me, honored elder. Could you please tell me what the date today is?" She turned around with a smile. She looked thoughtful for a second.

"Why today is September 20, my dear." She answered politely and walked away. I narrowed my eyes and began walking aimlessly. September 20? It should be September 22 by now. Maybe she was just mistaken. She did look pretty doubtful of herself. I walked to a stall that sold fruits and apples, putting a nice face for the bored stall manager. "Excuse me, mister. What day is it today?"

"Huh? It's the 20th. Don't you kids use calendars? Shouldn't you be in school?" I thanked him curtly and walked away. One is a mistake but two is a confirmation. September 20? No, that's definitely not right. I'm sure it's September 22 by now. I walked to Training Grounds Six once more. I activated my Byakugan, threw senbons. Deflected a sword. Ran around Konoha five times under thirty minutes.

Again.

I walked tired, exhausted and full of it to Rin who wanted to eat a strawberry sundae in that new desert shop.

And again.

I woke up feeling refreshed, ate Orochimaru's diet. I came back home to eat Rin's dinner Omelette.

And again.

I stopped walking. Throwing my free bottle of water to the sidewalk as I stared at an innocent Monarch, fluttering to a sickening sunset I grew to hate over the course of this loop. It fluttered innocently past me that looked absolutely ethereal if it wasn't so irritating to look at now. I've seen that scene for four days straight. Besides, the last time I saw a butterfly that big was when I met…

...The old man in the graveyard!

I diverged from the Hyūga compound and ran to Konoha Cemetery. Yeah, that's right! He asked me if I wanted to be part of his test to get more power! I couldn't remember if I told him yes or no but I think it's safe to conclude that I'm in some kind of genjutsu and _forced_ me to partake in this "test" of his. I entered the graveyard and had a senbon hidden away in my sleeves. I activated my Byakugan; his chakra was all over the place!

"What did you do?" I interrogated the seemingly weak old man. If he was a genjutsu specialist then all I had to do was fizzle my chakra which that neither academy nor Orochimaru bothered teaching me yet! It was all physical conditioning, weapon throwing and taijutsu training! He turned around with an aged and tired smile on his face.

"What? Oh, hello there pretty girl." His bushy eyebrows quirked as his bead gave way to a open-toothed smile. The mysterious old croon began walking to me, killing intent flooding the while cemetery. I narrowed my Byakugan and refused the gag reflex the aura wanted me to do. You can so do this, Tokina. Orochimaru gave you DUMP TRUCK load of this shit. This should be puppy play by now. I jumped back and threw the senbon hidden away in my sleeve. He deflected it casually with his cane.

"My, my. That's not the way to treat an elder." He huffed as I drew three more senbons in each hand quickly. I narrowed my eyes. He clearly knew what I was doing for the past days if he used that exact wording pattern. An attempt to rile me up? Too bad, old man, that was literally the oldest (hehe) trick in the book. I'm not falling for that. I saw his hand tense before he sized me up.

What incredible speed!

I deflected his attempt to slam his cane on my shin. I disengaged and threw the senbon at him, rapidly deflecting all of them as he got in a Bōjutsu stance with a casual smile. I stood on the wall of the graveyard as I readied more senbon. "What did you do?" I reiterated for his probably _not_ deaf ears to hear.

"Ah little this and that." He mocked all the while in an expert stance that had no openings, the assessment was further enforced when I threw one senbon at him and he deflected it easily. It's not every fucking day you fight an old man in the graveyard who trapped you in a time loop genjutsu and had Bōjutsu skills that probably rivaled Sarutobi Hiruzen. That or I was just inexperienced. Probably the latter.

Twirling the cane like the show-offs everyone seems to be in the world, He tensed before jumping after me. I ran around the wall and jumped to the ground, using the stones as leverage while I threw a volley of shuriken, senbon and kunai alike. The old man deflected and dodged them indiscriminately. Now would be a good time to have a fireball or a mud wall jutsu to turn the tides!

"WAIT!" The old man said with power as I dumbly stopped mid step on a certain grave.

Takahama Aishi.

I retracted my foot as he threw his cane away. I sign of surrender and peace. What, was this his boyfriend or something? I narrowed my eyes at the old man who looked offended. "Honestly, kids these days! Stepping around the cemetery like they own the place." He huffed as I bonked me with a fist with assorted metals impaled around Konoha graveyard. It didn't hurt but it reminded me that, oh right. Five years old.

"Who's Takahama Aishi?" I tilted my head because, yo, we were having a fight. "And can you stop whatever your doing and release me from this genjutsu?" the man beamed and pointedly ignored my question. "The most beautiful, most kind, and the strongest shinobi that ever graced this planet?" He puffed out his proud chest.

Yeah, probably his boyfriend. He waved off the narcissistic and pretentious vibe he was giving off. "Anyway, you passed the test. Here, catch." He threw this GIANT scroll at me as the world began breaking into a kaleidoscope of butterflies.

* * *

I woke up with a cold sweat while the fall breeze blew leaves to a faraway land. I blinked and rubbed my eyes with my right hand to ward of the sand man's dust. It seems I fell asleep under tree near my back yard. With grogginess still in my systems, I saw a mountain of ants whisk breadcrumbs and the like away to their small hill.

What a strange dream. I yawned and stretched. I stopped mid way when I felt a weight drop into my left hand. I clutched it and examined the really big scroll that came out of nowhere. That's strange, I could have sworn I...

'Here, catch.' A voice that rode the wind whispered. A yellow butterfly landed on the spot the old guy bonked me on. Successfully creeped out by the seemingly random and utterly normal events, I opened the scroll, names in blood red at the very top with fingerprints I did not remember stamping.

Takahama Aishi.

Hyūga Tokina.

The yellow butterfly flew away as a swarm of the same insects began flying in my proximity. With a sigh and an acceptance to my fate, I dragged the scroll to my lap and leaned on the tree, butterflies resting on various parts of my body. I raised my finger as a blue monarch landed on it innocently.

"You are such a manipulative little thing, aren't you?" The beautiful creature fluttered its wings slowly as an answer. Using my peripheral vision, I saw a small rabbit gazing at me before hopping off to its burrow. The butterfly on my fingertips flew away as I stood up and stretched to ward off the grogginess away. The swarm continued to follow me as I filled a glass of water. I narrowed my eyes at an innocent looking calendar. I almost dropped the glass of water when I saw how all the dates were crossed out leading to September 21. Dream genjutsu? Was the whole yesterday a genjutsu? Am I still in genjutsu? Oh shit, which one of the loops was the right one because I'm sure Rin or Orochimaru would not appreciate _any_ panicked outbursts I may or may not have made them experience.

Jesus Christ, I hope Shishou would believe me. Butterfly summons. How the hell am I going to explain butterfly summons?

* * *

AN.

Heh, you can immediately tell when I wrote this chapter ;). Anyway, thanks for the reviews, follows and views (almost 1000 guys, omfg). Also, **_Looking into his eyes_** by **_Intothedeep27_** which was recommended to me by **thanzintay.2000** is really good if your looking for Slow Burn fanfics. The ending though. I kind of support it but...

Anyway, I hoped you enjoyed this chapter. Butterflies replacing snakes. You have no idea HOW MUCH this one little thing changed my story. Review, Favorite and Follow if you want. I mean, a view is already a big deal to me (my baby having almost 1000 view, like how though?). Enjoy your life :)

(I'm sure I have spelling mistakes or grammar errors in here. Constructive criticism is appreciated. I DO want to get better after all.)


	6. Chapter 6: Mid Summer Snake's Dream 3

AN.

I told myself I'd post today so I did.

Also, usual trigger warning about hinting/romanticizing depression and death despite this fic having slight crack in it. It was just a one line thing or something. Other than that, please enjoy.

* * *

He did, thankfully. He looked amused at how I got it and how I repeated yesterday's events over and over again; specifically the part where I run around Konoha five times under thirty minutes, the sadist. Of course his uncaring ass only cared about the new power his student got and not the potential aching knees she got. The multi-colored monarchs around me fluttered anxiously as Orochimaru began his deep thinking, caressing his non-existent beard while humming. Probably got that from Hiruzen or something, at least he ain't a pervert. Ew, I just imagined an old man peeping. Not a good image to have in my poor five year old brain. Or 25, if you're picky. When was my past birthday, anyway?

Meh, not that it matters.

Anymore, that is.

"Potential genjutsu expertise..." He muttered to himself. He ordered me to follow his lead, which was bite my dominant finger until it bleeds (I couldn't inflict harm to myself like that so with a heavy heart, I pricked my thumb with a senbon) do boar-dog-bird-monkey-ram and slam it to the ground, pouring most of my chakra in it as well as making sure it entered. He did it without chakra but a giant ink seal spread through the ground, big enough to cover my house, and out of nowhere, butterflies of all sorts of colors, sizes and breeds began fluttering around the training ground. The whirled near me before becoming a tornado of colors and wings, forming a body of an attractive young man with pink eyes, a strange rainbow was his choice of clothing. It honestly looked like a 3 year old splattered they're 12 pack poster color on his clothes. His strange clothes flowed till the grass and the biggest blue monarch wings behind is back flapped experimentally, making a small gust. He looked shocked before giving me a charming smile.

"My, my. The last time someone summoned my body, they instantly succumbed to chakra exhaustion." His charming voice cooed. "Are you my new summoner?"

I straightened reflexively. "Y-Yes?"

He gave me a smirk before cupping my hand like a true gentleman which gave me the blushes. What? Manifestation of butterflies or not, a tall, young (debatable) and attractive man was holding my hand. I can be a blushing bride if I want to be, I'm just five years old, damn it. Wait for puberty, Tokina. Then you can use your Byakugan to peep. "I'm Akinosuke. I do hope you have enough chakra to sustain me." He said dreamily with a tinge of worry.

When he let go of my hand, I couldn't help but narrow my eyes at the suspicious black butterfly seal in my left hand's middle finger. Orochimaru seemed to have enough with this exchange, though. He walked next to me and loomed the summoned man. Akinosuke frowned but said nothing.

"Show is what you can do, Akinosuke-san. I for one was planning on making her sign my snake contract and they do not like having a second contractor as well as a waste of space. " He threatened with a commanding voice and a tight lipped smirk. Akinosuke's eyes gleamed something with malice before he smiled and nodded.

"Very well."

The butterfly king who was draining a considerable amount of _my_ chakra just so he could exist here, melted into thousands and thousands of butterflies that began circling us. Their actions whipped up a small gust in Training Ground 6. Orochimaru looked smug yet still alert, never dropping his Cheshire smile as well as his chilling gaze on the strange butterfly king . As the butterflies (who I am beginning to think is Akinosuke) trapped us in a barrier of different colors, the world began changing into a different scene. The butterflies vanished as we were transported into a dark and dreary place with perpetual rain.

"Amegakure?" Orochimaru bit out and took the threat as it was. I activated my Byakugan, locking on two massive chakra signatures and three smaller chakra signatures that were following them. If this was a genjutsu then this was damn well good one, making me, a Hyūga, believing that they were actual people. Tricking my eyes was an incredible feat, despite me not training it yet. Whether it was real or fake, they were approaching us.

Orochimaru hissed.

It was Tsunade and Jiraya with the three Ame orphans. "What is this?" The Snake-nin bit out harshly. The young Tsunade widened her eyes before giving off the biggest smile she could muster. I watched in fascination as he ran to him and hugged my Shishou with all her might.

"Orochimaru! I thought we lost you at the battle with Hanzō!" Her younger self hugged the man even tightly. Orochimaru looked confused before his eyes gleamed in what I could define as recognition. He pushed Tsunade away. "Impressive genjutsu; but it won't fool me." He announced to the world all the smugly. Tsunade narrowed her eyes at him while Jiraya ushered the three kids away.

"Kai." He began.

Nothing changed.

"What?!" Orochimaru began glaring at the blonde woman who looked just as confused. That was the last I saw before my world melted onto a sea of butterflies once more, the dark and dreary Ame slowly fluttering away in blues and blacks to the green and brown Training Ground 6.

Woah.

I felt a hand on my shoulder as Akinosuke's pink eyes gleamed with smugness. I turned to my side to see butterflies of all different sizes and colors resting on Orochimaru who was standing there in a daze. "If this jutsu continued any longer then you would have fainted. Oh well, an incredible feat nonetheless." He smiled sinisterly. "If you use those wonderful eyes of yours, you can tell that my butterflies are absorbing his chakra as he is trapped in a layered genjutsu."

I focused my Byakugan on Orochimaru's signature, his chakra was whirring with activity while the butterflies around him sucked it out. Trapping a Sanin in a genjutsu is really impressive, honestly. I couldn't help but ask one of the terms he used. "Layered genjutsu?"

He nodded and took smug amusement in it. "A genjutsu in a genjutsu that is also in a genjutsu. Humans may have invented it but I perfected it into an art." I think I got it but he still had the feel to explain what he did to him.

"I?"

"The butterflies _must_ come from somewhere."

I tensed, now feeling the butterflies lying on my body, seeing then in a new light. He chuckled before the butterfly king winced. "He broke the first layer, which was his memory of Ame. The second layer which he broke through was Ame again, this time the Tsunade and Jiraya fighting him. The third layer he's currently breaking out of the genjutsu and continuing his life normally. He's suspected something. This jutsu requires a lot of detail and concentration." He flew to Orochimaru's and caressed it almost lovingly. "Temporarily obtaining the victim's memories without getting overwhelmed as well as fabricating a real illusion takes great chakra control and focus."

Before he slapped him awake.

"Of course, any outside forces can break the genjutsu. This is one of the basic jutsu to learn before learning our special dream genjutsu." He made a hole in his body and the butterflies that made him up began entrapping the Snake-nin who was literally trying to stab and decapitate him. Whichever works? "We can also trap, ensnare and recreate." The intangible young voice of the butterfly king said as the butterflies formed a perfect clone of me. My light lavender eyes gleamed with whimsical mischief and waved at me before melting into butterflies once more.

"Please summon me, like this or individually, as you wish." He joked in his multitude of butterfly mode before poofing away into smoke. Orochimaru hissed before composing himself. He closed his eyes and glared at me. I shuddered under his death gaze. What? It's not my fault that he wanted to kill the literal manifestation of butterflies! How was I supposed to know that these small and weak critters were actually badasses in disguise?

"Ten laps around Konoha in one hour." He ordered irritably. "Go."

* * *

With the butterfly fiasco out of the way, Snake-Shishou began being a really good teacher. Of course, Akinosuke began tutoring me on how to use the first step on unlocking the Mangyekō Dream, to which Orochimaru huffed and waved me away promising more speed and reflexes practice. I sat in the middle of Training Ground 6, Orochimaru graciously letting me use his memories for a demonstration while Akinosuke used a butterfly as a mouthpiece and relayed instructions. The scene morphed into Orochimaru gazing at his parent's grave, a snake slithering near it.

"Tokina-chan, what do you think of immortality?" He dropped suddenly; the abruptness making me cancel the genjutsu. I turned and found his back facing me. Oh shit. This conversation. I gulped and opened my mouth "It wouldn't that be all glamorous for someone who doesn't know what to do with their life." I replied honestly. "Oh? Care to explain?" He said tonelessly. Fuck. I need to word this carefully. "I believe that if someone would want to gain immortality, it's so that they can achieve a greater goal. What would happen if someone just got immortality just so they could live forever? What would they do after that? All the people they would love would die away without him. It would be a very lonely life style." I confessed, gauging his still back, I continued on "But say, if someone got immortality for a side-goal to complete their real task, it wouldn't be wasted. Say a person wanted to cure cancer or learn everything there is to learn, that would take a lot of time. Immortality would not be wasted upon them." I finished. He remained still and turned at me. "Oh, and Tokina-chan, would you want immortality?"

I tilted my head and smiled bitterly. I shrugged. "More time would be nice, but I wouldn't want it. I don't want to die frail and old, honestly. And even if there was a permanent way to remain in biological stasis, I think I'd get bored of living, to be honest." I know I did once upon a time. I don't know if I'm ever going to get bored of living here in this world or kill myself over the stress. I know what's going to happen after death anyway. I don't have anything to lose. He his face remained with that impassive smile.

"Then how would you like to die, then?" He interrogated. This conversation is going to bite me in the butt in the future, I'm sure. "Maybe while I'm asleep?", I shrugged a little bit too casually " I don't want to die. So if I'm left with no choice, a peaceful and quiet death would be the next best thing. I wouldn't have any time to think about my regrets and other things." He grinned, baring his teeth. "Good answers. Let us continue."

With a reluctant nod, I took in more of his memories and flooded his senses after the 11 handseals I'm slowly getting used to.

* * *

I walked with Rin (who had a very sleepy and disgruntled) Obito with her to the academy while three or four butteries accompanied me. Like pre-summoned guards or something. The two saw me practicing my summon jutsu in the house one day, seeing a young girl play with thousands of rainbow colored Monarchs was a sight to see. Rin literally fangirled as the butterflies encircled her magically while Obito looked at them all wide eyed.

I very carefully told one of Akinosuke to _not_ absorb their chakra.

I went back to my former classroom with stares behind my backs and weird faces being made. Oh, and the muttering. I absolutely did not miss this. Jesus, if this was grade school level shade, then if there was a ninja high school I would literally just want to drop out. I sighed, what a time to be alive. Rin nudged my shoulder playfully and I smiled at her. We had a group study for weeks preparing this. Doing the Academy Three over and over again and refreshing myself in the paper work and math. It wasn't that bad. Dog-sensei walked up and instantly glared. He sniffed and looked at me.

"You smell weird." He barred his teeth at me. "Like a flower. Have you been snorting poppies?!" He accused mocking humor lacing his voice as the butterflies fluttered around me agitatedly. Everyone stared and snickered except a certain white haired and absolutely sulky boy. I closed and rolled my eyes.

"Orochimaru-shishou said that the contract might affect my body. A little drawback but I suppose it would be worth it." I answered briskly and everyone immediately clammed up.

Obito snickered beside me and nudged me "That shut them up, huh?" I smiled a mischievous smile at him. He snorted. "I thought you were aware, Sensei." I questioned honestly."He turned red as did a low growl that sent the lesser students to rear back and revealed his sharp canines unknowingly and muttered a suspicious _'so THAT was what the meeting was about_.' He coughed and signaled me and Kakashi to come forward. He gave us a five sheeted test paper and made us take it in the other room which was empty. We took the test in silence. When we were done, I played with one of my two butterflies that were already with me. Kakashi looked me weirdly (child sneer?!) and covered his already covered nose. I frowned and began instantly self-concious. I don't smell anything. They were just being mean now. Butterflies aren't that bad. Honestly, what does poppy even smell like? I bet it smelled heavenly. Humph, judgmental pricks. I dismissed the cute yellow mini monarch (prince butterfly?) and tried to sleep. I woke up when the door slammed open. How rude, shinobi are.

"Get back to class for your practical test, your goin' to show off!" He snarled and left. I sighed and went back to the classroom, standing beside Kakashi and Dog-sensei with a clip board, looking much older and more professional. He pointed at Kakashi with the tip of his pen. "Substitute," he looked around the classroom. "With that vase." He pointed casually at the lonely looking vase at the end of the room. With a puff of smoke, the small masked child was replaced with a vase and now was at the end of the room. He waited five seconds and substituted back. The class applauded, I heard Obito snort. He pointed at me now, "Do what he did, and make it snappy!" I did the hand seals and substituted with the vase. I waited two seconds and went back to my original position. A few polite claps and a snort from dog-sensei. I sense bias.

I now wondered why Naruto did _not_ ravage and murder everyone in this room.

"Now both of you transform into each other," he ordered and scribbled something in his clipboard. I studied his face and body professional while he gave me an assessing glance, and huffed. Asshole, way to make a girl self-conscious. I transformed into him and he did the same, only my cheeks were fatter and my hips wider. Is he calling me fat?! The class roared in laughter. The dog-sensei chuckled and scribbled something in the clip board. "Lastly, make as many clones as you can. You're up, fatty," I turned red, and instantly looked down at my feet. How the fuck can a girl who ran through Konoha can be called fat?! So I had a little baby fat on my cheeks? Boo-hoo, human anatomy, whatever shall I do? Wow, this teacher though, how professional. I made two with a puff of smoke; they looked pale but seemed alright. He made a perfect three.

The class roared in applause at Kakashi's clones.

"Amazing, Kakashi-kun!"

"Did you see fatty's clones?"

"They looked so pale and weak, honestly!"

I twirled my hair around and felt my cheeks burn while the three butterflies fluttered agitatedly. These dick heads. They weren't. I probably had better chakra control thanks to genjutsu training and Hyūga heritage!

I felt my eyes tingle but felt them just in case if I activated my Byakugan. I didn't, it was just embarrassment induce tears trying to escape. It probably was just a twitch. I'm perfectly fine.

Oh, who am I kidding? Kids are cruel when they want to be.

"Big deal, anyone could make a stupid clone!" Obito stood up abruptly. The class quieted and he went in front and gave me a reassuring smile. What are you doing?! He did the hand seals and with too much smoke, a weird white pitiful looking blob appeared. The demons (except Rin) roared with laughter. He turned red and I gave him a pat on the back. "Hey look at the bright side; we both need to fight this embarrassment to sleep at night now." I joked, he looked sad and suddenly looked like he had an epiphany, he slammed his fist to his palm and muttered 'that's it!' A butterfly instantly landed on his shoulder.

What?

"I bet Kina-chan could whoop Bakashi's ass anytime!" He roared.

They quieted once more. Then suddenly a student snorted, and the laughter somehow got even louder.

"Seriously? Khaki-Kina!? Against _the_ Hatake Kakashi?!"

I instantly wanted to disappear and maim Obito, instead I used him as a human shield to fend off the embarrassment. It didn't work. "Enough!" The dog-sensei regained the classes attention. He looked at us, me specifically and grinned sadistically.

"Why don't we take this to the school grounds? It could be...extra credit." He said in mock formality and the class whooped. Kakashi shrugged and went away. I gave Obito a pleading look, "Why?" I cried out, hands still covering my face for further embarrassment. Obito held out a fist and said confidently "C'mon, Kana-chan! You've been training with one of the legendary Sanin! Not only that, you got mega-strong summons that managed to trap _THE_ Orochimaru! You could totally beat Bakashi!" He said confidently, trying to shake out my low confidence.

"I'm going to die." I drawled out and I felt him drag me out of the classroom with Rin's soft footsteps following us, I felt her hand on my shoulder and I looked up. We were already here. She gave me an apologetic and reassuring smile before Obito dragged me into the crowd's center, whispered an "I believe in you!"

Then the boy who started all this drama left me to fend off a child who had pointy-stabby thingies while I was armed with nothing but senbons, quick wits, good eyes and butterflies.

It's a shame I don't share his sentiment. The butterflies fluttered anxiously.

* * *

AN.

Is this cliff hanger? It probably is.

Whoops.

1500+ Views you guys. That might not amount to something to other authors or whatever but it meant a lot to me. That or my pun of a title is totally click-baity but whatever. I was supposed to update this morning, with the whole editing thing going on until my _Youtube_ feed gave me 'Look at this cute googley-eyed octopus' something or other than it turned to watching marines, then Naruto scenes then Pitch Perfect Scenes. I literally have 6 _Youtube_ tabs open, all just Pitch Perfect. I'm sorry.

I'm sorry that acapella is so good that is.


	7. Chapter 7: Bark Bark Hiss Hiss

AN.

Warning about Tokina's general attitude. Oh, she is going to be a douche this fight. Like, so douchey you wouldn't even believe.

* * *

I looked at Kakashi who was giving his Tantō a casual once over. The bitch-sensei began to bark. "The first one to strike from the opponent's attack wins! Since you guys are so high and mighty, I might need to require you to shout your jutsu names so I can stop you.

Dog-sensei who should be fired from his job, effective immediately eyed us sadistically because who wouldn't if they made a living out of teaching children how to kill each other?

"Begin!"

Kakashi ran forward as I activated my Byakugan. He managed to cut off a strand of my hair when I roughly side stepped to avoid my left arm from detaching. Holy shit this bitch is out to kill. He skidded to a halt, eyeing me with faint amusement. Probably expected that hit to land, huh? I did the handseals, put some blood on the butterfly seal on my middle finger and clapped.

"Summoning Jutsu!"

Butterflies exploded from my clasped hands, fluttering to Kakashi in speeds that could rival a kunai in the air, instantly overwhelming the Kakashi that was mid-air, trying to cut my head off with his tantō (an actual fucking tantō in a spar. Minato, put your puppy on a damn leash.), shone a white light before slashing his way out of the butterfly coffin. I blinked before shaking my head out of the funk. That looked majestic though. No, no, Tokina. You don't want another asshole or a twin sister named " _bisected other half"_ now do we?" We would probably fight over meals or some shit. Less observe-y, more do-ey please! Snapping out of it, I channeled more chakra into the butterfly seal, my body whirled with a pre-made substitute, ready to be used if ever a physical attack hit me. I need time to prepare my 11 handseal genjutsu, though. I ran around the field, Kakashi doing the same. I threw a senbons to the side, missing him purposely. He dumbly kept his eyes on the senbons and not the girl approaching him. I pounced, my hands meeting metal disappointingly.

Dammit!

Using his tantō to block my multitude of Jyūken hits, he tried to punch me square in the face only to hit thin air and a bunch of butterflies. Hehehe, I can see how trickery can be fun now. Naruto had something going on with the whole prank thing. The butterflies began trapping and distracting Kakashi, absorbing his chakra continuously but only for a bit. I 'manifested' back into the world, monarchs seemingly making out my body. He might be faster and stronger and could use ninjutsu but I was _probably_ smarter and _definitely_ more creative and had the chakra capacity to keep this up and a Mangyekō no Yume. I still had a lot to learn about the Mangyekō Illusion series but doing basic things like the Academy Three with Butterflies (substitution, body flicker, and clones) is a big stepping stone for a formidable ninja that could not Ninjutsu for her life.

Which was depressing in a world where a bigass fireballs and hands encased in lightning is as normal as people walking down a street.

The cocoon of butterflies that could have made an Aburame member froth with glee shook ominously. I watched as the boy slashed out of it, the white streak of light as well as the colorful butterflies was an image to behold. Apparently, his fangirls (and fanboys, I won't judge.) thought the same as they cheered and let out multiple sounds of 'ooohs' and 'aaahs.'

I couldn't help but feel a little bit petty. And what, vanishing into and manifesting into butterflies wasn't good enough for them? I was trying, dammit! Butterflies are cool, too you know! They pollinate shit and make the world go round so you selfish pricks can eat your damn cereal with your anti-Khaki shirts and silver licking spoons!

"So, do I need to get serious or what?" He bit out arrogantly as he dusted out monarch wings and bodies from his shirt. I heard snickers from the children and cheers from the others, all yelling Hatake Kakashi. Oh, and Khaki-Kina but I was trying to ignore that. What the hell did I do to deserve this? I used my Byakugan to check that 1/4 of his chakra has already been lost and that's not really a lot. I could stall for him to succumb to chakra exhaustion or I could rush in, using my light feet and just go in there and boop him with a senbons there and then. I still have most of my really big chakra reserves anyway. Physical endurance is not my strong suit but out-chakra'ing him? I could damn well try. Amidst the Hatake Kakashi's I could make out a young boy and a high pitched girl, screaming their lungs out to try and out cheer the whole classroom.

"GO KINA-CHAN! WHOOP HIS ASS." Was the only positive cheer I heard.

I couldn't help but immaturely snicker at his language. Okay, he was trained by Yellow Flash; I was trained by Orochimaru of the Sanin. I have bigger chakra reserves and a creative mind and not to mention x-ray eyes as my birthright and I'm damn well sure he does not know any genjutsu. I can so whoop this prodigy's ass!

With the newfound resolution from that only came from shounen anime, he rushed forward as I ran away, doing seals all the while.

Bird-ram-tiger-bird-dragon-bird-

He jumped to me with the intent of canceling my jutsu, throwing kunai and shuriken at his wake. I rolled and dodged just like in practice. I still can't passively pour in chakra to my seal so I can remain intangible so I had to multitask running, dodging and continuing the genjutsu Akinosuke taught to me through his butterflies. It wasn't as effective as the jutsu Akinosuke used on Orochimaru because, hello, he was the damned father of it, and it wasn't as complex but mastering this monster was a baby step to making layered genjutsu Akinosuke keeps on dotting about.

"She-She's still continuing!" One of the kids said, awestruck as I continued running around, dodging and turning away from his slashes and kunai (which were overkill by the way, why wasn't doggy-sensei saying anything?)

-snake-rat-bird-tiger-dragon, clasp your hands with passion and…!

"Mangyekō Illusion: World of Butterflies!"

Kakashi watched tensely and wide eyed as the crowd, the school, the world around him melted into colored wings and beautiful monarchs of all colors, leaving a black world in its wake. Keeping my hands clasped together, I focused on the images that were flooding into me.

"Mangyekō Illusions uses the person's memories as the paper. You can alter their perception of time, what they see, what they hear, what they feel." The butterfly king's voice echoed in my mind. '"World of Butterflies isn't Mangyekō Dream in a sense hit a weaker version of it consisting of three World of Butterflies; I temporarily give you the tools you need to break your opponents mind, which is their memories. It's up to you on how to use it." I remembered Akinosuke's explanation for it, shoving aside the memories of him doing normal shit.

I focused on a specific memory that I will bound to forget as per jutsu standard. The world of darkness melted away to a rainy day inside a room not familiar to me. Kakashi looked alert and tried to sense invisible me, keeping still and focusing my chakra control to keep the illusion. The door opened to reveal a tired man with white hair who looked at Kakashi lovingly. First, make him feel cold because, duh it's fucking raining. Make the illusion, trick his chakra and feelings. Now think of a script. I don't have the time and experience to study his speech patterns but I'll make do. Oh god, my head hurts. Focus, Tokina. You can damn well do this. Your ran through Konoha for this shit!

"Kakashi..." Sakumo whispered to him softly.

"P-papa?" He said reluctantly and wide eyed. He dropped the tantō.

 _You're a baby. The suicide never happened. Your father is very proud of you. Sakumo loves you dearly._ I focused on that all the while I kept my hands clasped together as I tried to silently walk behind his back, pouring my chakra and control into keeping the Illusion as real as possible. It wasn't as strong as Tsukiyomi in a sense. I have to pour all my focus in it and unlike the Tsukiyomi, outside forces can dispel it. I walked behind him as he stared as his dad. I felt really bad for using this memory but it was the only one I could find that could…hurt him. It would have been easier if he was a nobody but making one of my favorite characters (even if he is a brat right now) feel like scum makes me feel like scum.

But hey, I was used to feeling scummy. I was in a perpetual state of scum-iness anyway.

"Papa, I..." He muttered as he looked down on his feet. Sakumo crouched down and lifted the younger Hatake's head. "Kakashi, it's okay." He muttered into his ear. I approached the younger boy guiltily. Abusing his memories is going to bite me in the butt, I can feel it. As I steadily got closer to Kakashi in my genjutsu I couldn't help but hear.

"IT'S A GENJUTSU! SNAP OUT OF IT!"

I furrowed my eyebrows and tried my best to keep the world intact. Kakashi perked up and looked around the illusion uncertainly. "Huh?" He widened his eyes as I felt a rock collide at the back my head.

Ow. That hurt.

"MITARASHI-SAN, THAT WASN'T FUNNY!" Rin's highpitched voice said through the cackling.

The world vanished into butterflies, leaving a shell shocked Hatake and a " _you have got to be kidding me_ " faced me. Holy fucking shit. Trained under the Orochimaru and my focus was lost by a dumb pebble?! Kakashi snapped out of it and with a glare of a thousand suns, engaged in high speed taijutsu. My eyes widened as I rushed myself to pour enough chakra to speed myself up, all the while trying to dodge the boy's strikes laced with fury and personal anger.

"Think it's funny to mess with my memories, huh?" He snarled angrily as I jumped away from his sweep kick. He picked up his tantō whole he was running and with a lot of chakra that was basically a body flicker now, he kicked me straight in the stomach, the impact causing me to skid to the floor. I groaned in pain and clutched my stomach. I probably deserved that

Ow...

"Hatake Kakashi wins!" Dog-sensei announced loudly, slight relief lacing his voice. The cheers of children flooded my ears as I felt two familiar arms and hands prop me up.

"That was amazing Kina-chan!" Obito cheered as he whooped. I smiled at the kid who started this mess in the first place. "I always thought genjutsu was a weak man'a ninjutsu but boy did you prove me wrong!"

Rin smiled up at me. "Yeah! Those butterflies were really pretty as well! Too bad, though. If it wasn't for Mitarashi-san and her dumb pranks, you so could have beaten Kakashi-kun!" Despite cheering for me she looked at the silver haired kid with longing before sighing dreamily. "Ah, Kakashi-kun...so cool." She wistfully said. I stood up and after a few seconds (57 seconds too long) I healed up my stomach from his chakra empowered kick. I deeply sighed. I did my best. Is that what matters? I shrugged at the face of myself doubt.

Whatever, Butterflies are still the shit, though. Pollinating our crops and shit.

I stole a glance at the now genin silver haired kid. He seemed to combine a glare and sneer effectively before drowning in his fangirls sans Rin who was inching to be with him as well, much to Obito's displeasure. I feel like Hatake Kakashi right now is a man of grudges and oh-boy I sure hope I wasn't the first one to enter that list. I wonder how Shishou's going to react?

* * *

Orochimaru is such a jackass. " _I know you can handle D-ranked missions alone. It is just mostly manual labor_." He said at the first day of my new genin days, my forehead protector slung around my neck because it felt itchy protecting the part that it's supposed to protect. Besides, I doubt it would protect me from a kunai anyway. If I got hit in the head, I probably deserved it. " _After all, you are my apprentice._ " He then vanished, leaving me to weed, build, and baby-sit all by my own.

You could at least help your new Genin before leaving off to, I don't know, kidnap said babies or something. The scariest part is that he might be actually doing that now.

Or eating ramen in a dark corner. You can't really tell with that guy. Bitch tricks me into thinking he's scared of flies for god's sake. He has too much free time for a guy that murders people when he's bored.

After the weeding of _another_ house, I went back to the Hokage's office and bowed a greeting. The Third smiled "Orochimaru's apprentice, right?" I nodded, butterflies fluttering on each side o my shoulder. "Yes, Hokage-sama." He shuffled a bunch of papers and handed me a D-rank mission. Retrieve the cat of the noble whats-his-name. I sighed and muttered "I could have sworn I caught him last week ago." The Third chuckled. I muttered a thank you and left.

After I caught the demon in under an hour (which I had no patience for, and summoned butterflies to snare his furry demon ass.) I immediately reported back to the Hokage. Already the third D-rank mission today, "Collect your payment at the secretary and next time…" he sighed deeply and gave me an exasperated look. "…Tell my wayward student to be with you, next time. It _is_ is responsibility to look after you." I smiled and bowed. Snake-shishou told me to meet him at training ground six after my D-ranks, the lazy ass. Skipping to the fun part (only for him) and not enduring the endless weeds (not the good kind) and wood (also not the good kind. Well, it wouldn't be good for me until I reach at least 18 years old but…). The afternoon sun suddenly blared when I got to training ground six. Huh. I wonder...

"Kai." I muttered, releasing the genjutsu I was in. Training ground six immediately darkened yet the purple and yellow sky stayed the same. I heard slow clapping at my back. "Congratulations. You survived D-Ranks." He taunted with a raised eyebrow. I sighed, "Hokage-sama wants you to be with my next time, Shishou." I closed and rolled my eyes. I turned around at the smug looking man across me. "I do not have time for menial paperwork." He waved his hands as if to dismiss the thought. "I have..." He drawled and unpocketed a strange vial. "Your promotion present." He finished.

He handed me the strange vial containing murky white...syrup. It looks absolutely horrendous, disgusting and comparable to fucking Guano. "It's an antibody I created a long time ago. It will counteract…most of the poison known to Shinobi." He smirked at his genius. Well that seemed useful. I pulled out the cork and sniffed the shit.

He didn't mention that it could kill. Jesus, that smell.

He motioned me to continue and with a heavy heart, I gulped it down quickly. The hot liquid burned my throat. I clasped it. "Of course I added a little extra. I small boost in power, so to say. It's in the testing stages but with a few test subjects here and there, the power to rival a Jinchūriki can be obtained."

I paled visibly. Don't fucking tell me…

I drank the first stages of the Cursed Seal of Heaven?! Holy fucking fuck. First of all, I do not want mentor-slash-mass murderer biting me. That is fucked up on so many levels, secondly I don't want to his...his...Fucking Horcrux or whatever! If this seal was public knowledge I swear by Anko's saggy left tit that having it on your body would be worst than having a demon in your stomach. No. It would be like the devil himself breathing down your neck. I shuddered. He took a step near me.

"Oh? Why so pale, Tokina-chan?" He drawled slowly as he took slow but long strides "I'm sure you've been eating properly." He took another step, I stepped back, my eyes probably wide and fearful, I felt my hand shake in fear because, no, I do not want to be a monster.

"No, I know why you're pale. You, Hyūga Tokina are scared," he tilted his head and with extreme speed, he caught up to me and got my chin and raised it up. Cold yellow eyes suddenly invaded my vision. "But why would you be scared? I am your shishou, Tokina-chan." He let go of my chin and favored walking in circles, resembling a snake coiling her prey. The air felt colder suddenly as more butterflies gathered around near me. "Mentors are to be trusted by their cute little apprentices, are they not?" He said mock thoughtfully. "You're scared because you know." He calmly whispered his voiced taking an entirely new timbre yet his smile widened. My legs felt like they're going to give and the air felt really dry, every breath I took seem to scald my throat. How did he know? I haven't spoken to him about that! Sure he gave me a few hints, with all his immortality bullshit but I am pretty sure he cannot read minds! "You know what I have been doing behind your back, behind everyone's back. You know I have been doing what is..." He waved his hand, looking for the right word as if trying to explain it to an infant. "Inhumane, as you would say." He then stopped suddenly and looked at me dead in the eye.

"But how? Not even the Hokage knows. Hiruzen, the senile man, is too trusting. I have already established my loyalty to Konoha by being one of the three Sanin, renowned heroes of the village. Why would a five year old girl, a new genin, know what I have been doing that could even fool the best Yamanakas and the Hokage himself?"I looked down immediately. I felt my lip quiver as my vision began blurring, how do I bullshit this?

"I-I..."

"You seem to know even before I made an appearance before you, it is in the same way you paled, the way your eye diluted, they way your fingers quaked yet how your face stayed impassive. Not exactly the look you give to one of Konoha's heroes, Tokina-chan." He hissed out amusingly. "You knew what was going to happen to you if you denied, so you had to accept the apprenticeship," he continued "So you have to accept and I must say, you really do exceed expectations." He said condescendingly. "The way genjutsu came naturally for you. Manipulating people's emotions and memories? Tools for you to use." He glared at me with his wide and creepy smile. "The flighty butterfly summoner who is more snake-like than she thinks. I knew I picked you out of the fodder for a reason."

He leaned close once more. "Deceivers know their kin, Tokina-chan" He leaned forward to my ear. "Snakes know fellow snakes." He whispered with finality. Was it for my life? I didn't know. Maybe for my future as a normal human being? A blinding pain was all I knew at that point. The burning in my throat didn't not stop. I realized that I was making an inhumane noise but couldn't do anything about it. Is this what my life is going to be like? I knew this was going to happen, I knew it yet I didn't do anything. I fell for the power he taught me, fell for it like sucker.

But I didn't deserve this.

Nobody deserved this.

I let my consciousness slip away but I knew my body was being used for the devil's machinations.

* * *

Orochimaru pursed his lips and flipped the girl over, checking for a pulse. She's alive. That was a pleasant surprise. It would be a shame to lose one of the farm-fresh lab rats he was currently nurturing. It looks like the girl was in a state of suffering, though. He needed her to last for approximately five minutes to see if the…drug worked. You could call it that. It wasn't exactly a drug, per-see. She did drink the anti-body so he wasn't really lying (for once). It was in the testing stages, of course. The final stage would be a form that could rival a Jinchūriki's power as well as degrading the mind for him when he spots a body that piqued his interest. Right now, it would only infect her systems with a smidgeon of his chakra anyway. He watched as the girl shivered despite one single flame-like marking appeared out of nowhere.

Her body seems to have accepted it.

He smirked. He took another vial and made the girl drink it. The seal melted away and so did his chakra. Now, that wasn't so bad, was it? He just needed a guinea pig to see if he was headed the right path. Speaking of the right path, maybe he could make a form that would be stronger than the Jinchūriki. Maybe natural energy would do? He would have to visit that irritable White Snake Sage though. How dare they call his body unfit to take in natural energy? Well he didn't need that. He was currently researching on a certain clan's Kekkai Genkai. An ability to passively store in Natural Energy would help tremendously with his research.

Hm…

He scribbled a name on the top of his notes. _The Cursed Seal of Heaven_. It was far from complete but with a little bit more time and testing…

He smirked as he carried the girl to the Hyūga Compound unnoticed.

* * *

AN.

Told you so. Anyway, fight scenes are fun to write honestly. A little bit hard but fun. Thanks for the faves, follows and reviews. Especially the follows. _**69** _as of posting. We are literally kind of almost near 100. Can't believe 69 people want to see my baby's life story. Brings me tears I tell you. Have a nice life and drink water :)

Also, it's not even Christmas yet but my parents insisted on the bigass Christmas tree that we had to haul when I had a damned essay to write but whatever. Have a spoopy Halloween.


	8. Chapter 8: Starting to like Water now

AN.

Surprised? So am I.

* * *

I'm starting to think that feeling pain is the start of a new life. The pain of mothers giving birth to children. The pain of training before the start of my short life as an academy student.

Now when I woke up, I experienced unbearable pain.

You know, because it's super hot in _Inferno_. And my neck is also pretty damn hot despite the man not sticking his grubby teeth which I suspect he doesn't toothbrush because Orochmaru-shishou has a perfect complexion like that. I should really be more serious about my…situation but like, it was kind of obvious how _I_ a damned _Hyūga_ child is obviously going to be used for an experiment.

Now imagine if I was an _Uchiha boy_.

His teeth aren' t the only things that would invade my personal space.

Fuck

The one man I do _not_ want to see naked.

This is imagination will be the ruin of me. Maybe I'll make a whole damned genjutsu out of it.

I tried moving my arms but couldn't, that's how tired and drained I felt. "Do not try to move." I heard a familiar raspy voice say. Oh great, a snake in my house, one I didn't whistle for. "You must adjust to the strain if you want to overcome this obstacle." He said reassuringly. I rolled my eyes, not bothering to close them anymore. He looked amused and played with a Kunai he got out of nowhere. "Now,now, don't make me teach you respect again, may I remind you who is bedridden and who can stab you anyone they want?" He said casually.

Oooh, scary. It actually was but I'm not saying that. He'll probably jack of to that. "Pff." I started my bluff "You and I both know that you won't kill me. I'm too valuable as research and an experiment to you now." I snorted out while the beginning of a kaleidoscope rested on my bed ridden body as if to protect me. Thank you, ultimate wing man. He chuckled. _Called it_. "Smart girl," he said, grinning mischievously. He raised an eyebrow then laughed. "How much do you know of me?" He chortled. Fucking _chortled_. This bitch could be raping an Uchiha baby while killing my family and he would be fucking _chortling_.

"Stay in bed, it's not like you can move anyway." There was a pause and he added as an afterthought "I'll be watching."

That was fucking kinky. In the worst kind of way.

"Of course you will, you crazed stalker." I growled out.

I heard him chuckle again and felt the wind as he body flickered away. I tried focusing on sleeping which didn't take very long. Darkness consumed me once more, this time on my terms.

* * *

The brunette girl was worried for one of her new friends. One of her best friends. She hadn't seen hide or tail of her since the fight with Kakashi-kun. Whenever her and Obito tried to visit they always came empty handed. She went back to a familiar house which she considered a second home by now. She was sure her black haired friend shared her sentiment. Said friend perked his ears up as she looked down at the door step to see a monarch innocently guarding the doorstep.

"Tokina-chan, it's us!" Rin called out. She heard her recently missing friend whisper something. They waited for a few seconds and the door slid open. It revealed their friend who looked seemingly normal.

"Clone." Her voice said emotionlessly as the Butterfly clone led them to the original body. The clone dispersed once more as the butterflies rested on Tokina's bedridden body.

"Hey guys, I'm sorry I can't make you tea right now. I'm kind of bedridden." She said, multi colored monarchs fluttering about her bed. She looked at them guiltily. "They insist on 'protecting me'. They don't use a lot of chakra anyway." She shrugged then winced and tried to cover the mistake.

"Hey we have food!" Obito raised the groceries of chocolate. Mostly chocolate. Rin needed to eat something to, so she forced him to buy a _semblance_ of a balanced meal.

Rin looked at Obito with a huff, remembering his whining about buying vegetables. How monstrous. How unheard off.

Obito looked scandalized , knowing exactly why the brunette was glaring. "Hey, I said was sorry!" Rin puffed out her cheeks and pointed at the wide eyed Hyūga , "What's this about?" The bedridden girl questioned, silently (because she's probably not allowed to) opening a small tub of ice cream.

Rin quickly snatched it back. "Oh don't start. I know all you chocolate-lovers tactics. Making your victims chat while you eat your deserts." She chastised Tokina with a waving, motherly like finger. She heard a rustle of plastic and forced her glare on Obito who was about to open a bar of the good brown stuff.

"Drop it."

He raised his hands in surrender, the brand name bar falling down the floor.

"Wise choice." She nodded and opened the _healthy_ thing in the array of edibles.

"You won't let us eat chocolate but you're feeding us oranges?" Tokina pouted.

She glared. Tokina shut her teeth with a surprised yelp.

Please, she wasn't that scary.

Rin felt lucky to have such nice friends. She wished nothing bad would ever happen to them. She knew it was a stupid wish for the lifestyle they chose, but sometimes logic isn't always a good thing.

"So what happened?" Obito shifted nervously.

"Eh," Rin knew she would wave her hands in a dismissive manner if it didn't pain her to do so. "Training accident, no biggie. You know how war is, their rushing the ninja production left and right. Orochimaru-shishou just wants me to be ready." She grinned up to them.

"Yes ' _biggie'._ " Rin scolded, both of her friends yelping in the process. She rubbed her temples, peeling the orange with the chakra scalpel Akane-san thought her how to use. If only Akane-san thought her the basics of Medical-Ninjutsu, like Mystic Palm then she could ease the pain of her friend. Of all her friends. She would learn one way or another. Rin isn't the type to give up after one measly stumble, after all. She was saving her allowance steadily for the apprenticeship in the local hospital. It wasn't Akane-san but it would do. It _will_ do.

Obito had other things in mind

Instead of remedying the situation like most people (like Rin-chan) he would nip it in the bud. Less people hurt that way. It was the right way.

"Don't worry Kina-chan. I'll get super strong then I'll win the war and become Hokage! That way nobody will get hurt _ever_!" Obito declared. Tokina laughed at his seriousness at his childish declaration. "I'll look forward to the, Hokage _-sama._ " He grinned and beamed. Rin giggled "Then we'd better work hard, huh, Obito-kun, or Tokina-chan will be surpass both of us even when you become Hokage!"she bumped shoulders with He took it seriously

"Yeah!"

The butterflies spun faster as the wood and flooring gave way to more butterflies. They were now in the rooftop, seeing the Hokage Mountain. Obito gasped and gaped at the image of the mountain in the illusion.

Right next to Sarutobi Hiruzen was Uchiha Obito's face. Illusion or not, he was happy and he was going to make that a reality. For his friends!

The weeks turned into months of me just staying in bed. Orochimaru coming, checking up on me, threaten me, I refuted, he laugh and leave immediately and my two human friends coming and cooking for me and cleaning the house, and telling me stories of what happened at the academy. My butterfly friends (mostly just Akinosuke in butterfly mode) decided to be just that when my power obsessed teacher was prodding me and testing the poison.

Whoops.

I meant gift.

He gets touchy when I call the _Cursed_ Seal of Heaven that. Well it wasn't the Cursed Seal of Heaven yet; it was more like the foundation for it. I mean, it might be classified as fūinjutsu but it comes from his fangs of all places. It must be some kind of poison as well, since he's injecting chakra. And I just got the first one ever. Which hurt like a bitch, probably would have killed me if it was the real thing. I joked how he should make it painless but he got all defensive and said "Where's the fun in that?"

The dick can't take criticism very well.

A small kaleidoscope fluttered us. "Why do you not go to Yume Grove, Orochimaru?" His ghostly voice echoed throughout the room. "We are well versed of the practice of absorbing, giving and using chakra. I cannot do much in this place, but in the grove-" Snake-shishou rolled his eyes and interrupted the king of butterflies. "I do not need help from insects. You couldn't understand this level of brilliance anyway." Orochimaru hissed out. "I made this seal. It is my work. Only I can understand it." He said proudly. He continued his experiments of blood samples and chakra injecting. I'm tired of being crippled. Akinosuke fluttered irritably but said nothing, resting on the walls of my house once more.

It's getting boring, all this shit. "When can I walk?" I said irritably, knowing he can hear me since he was hovering over my neck. He chuckled "How impatient." He petted my head and I glared at him. He hummed and leaned forward and muttered some observations he found. What did he find though? I was paler? I haven't been eating a lot thanks to the seal making me _crippled_ you dick dong diddely fuck. Oh, don't worry love. You'll get your turn. Can't wait till Hiruzen seals your hands away, then we'll see whose laughing.

He backed away. "Activate your Byakugan." He commanded, already writing something in the sheet of paper. I could manifest my white eyes without the hand seal anymore. I flooded my eyes with chakra as per usual but suddenly…

I gasped in surprise.

Orochimaru leaned forward.

"I can see through solid objects, have an extended range of vision and have near 360 degrees of vision. You know, Byakugan." I said spoopily and ominously. "Like normal." I deadpanned.

He frowned and the flicker of light in his eyes probably was him contemplating on cutting me into itty bitty tiny pieces and feeding him to Manda.

He scoffed, stood up s and gave me a suspicious looking black pill. "Don't give me that look," he grinned with his trademark malicious grin, his pearly whites rivaling his skin. "If you wish not to walk anymore, then don't; I require more research that does not needs you to be standing,anyway." He said sarcastically "Training tomorrow if you wish to be of use." Then he left.

I huffed. "Akinosuke-san, could I trouble you for a glass of water?" I said politely to the king of butterflies resting on my stomach in the form of his subordinates. "Of course, Tokina-san." They got up and fluttered to the kitchen. I heard glass clinking and water filling. Wait, how can butterflies even...

There it was, the glass in the edge of falling, water spilling everywhere as a cloud of multicolored flies fluttered into my room. The glass dropped with a clink, half of the water falling in the damned table.

I snorted and muttered a thank you, preparing to drink whatever the fuck he wanted me to drink. I wanted to walk dammit.

I widened my eyes because the black pill tasted absolutely shitty.

Ugh disgusting.

My curse poison fired up. I can feel it fire up since my blood was literally boiling.

Ugh, Orochimaru you bitch.

My legs instantly felt like jello and my arms felt like curling up on me. I closed my eyes and endured. Then the pain went away and I felt revitalized.

 _Great._ I thought, standing up experimentally. _Now I can take a proper bath._

* * *

"What the hell is this, you narcissistic snake of a man." I hissed out.

"I do not know what you mean, one who says the obvious." Orochimaru chirped innocently. Chirped. Fucking Chirped.

Imagine my surprise when I woke up with a set of multiple new clothes near my bedside with a black forehead protector. Imagine my surprise when it was a high necked cream colored oversized kimono shirt with black trimmings and a black polo that covered my neck, loose black pants and a fucking purple rope belt. Who the hell uses rope belts these days?! I'll tell you who the hell uses rope belts these days. He was grinning across me.

This man has killed babies, tortured innocents, my parents are in that group, he is plotting to kill the third hokage and does inhumane shit to people and he has the audacity to make me his dress up doll? My hair was conveniently dark enough to be considered black with three locks escaping the forehead protector; two of them on either side of my face and one extra long one riding my nose bridge. My eyes are already naturally half-lidded with my eyes. Guess what I look like?

"Are you into this kind of things? Are you going to force me with yellow contacts and pale skin so I can look like a female mini-you?" I continue to hiss out. The sad thing was is that this is totally my digs. It was so soft and comfortable to wear and the purple rope belt I tied to look like a ribbon felt a nice weight around my waist. It was probably super durable too. I bet he knew this too, the sick fuck. I need new wardrobe.

I took a deep breath. Was it misplaced hero worship or Stockholm syndrome? I'd never know. "Whatever, let's just go." Akinosuke's butterflies landed on my head to at least try and calm me down. Keyword was try.

"The pill I gave you was made by Tsunade to help muscles revitalize." He started "I did some modifications and made it so that your degrades muscles returned to you instantaneously." He grinned.

And then threw a kunai at me.

I dodged with an unsaid gasp. "Your reflexes as muscle memory are still sharp. Good. You constantly straining your summons should have increased your already above average chakra reserves, not counting the chakra I graciously gave you."

Asshole. It fucking ruined me. Makes me want to drown myself which I do not like, by the way. Killing myself by drowning gives me jives now. I sighed inwardly. Where did it all go wrong? Can I still make this 'stay alive until thirty' thing work anymore? At this rate I'm going to die by my fucking teens.

"Hiruzen said that I have until your batch of academy students graduate till your apprenticeship with me expires." He hissed out distastefully. "I am required to become a Jōnin sensei and he told me that he will be relocating you to another team when the time comes to spread out my _wisdom._ " He childishly rolled his eyes.

"I will teach you one elemental ninjutsu and a camouflage technique." I perked up at the elemental ninjutsu one. Finally! "After that you will complete ten more D-ranks" I slumped visibly "And six C-rank missions so I may be licensed to let you go off willy-nilly." He smiled maliciously. "That is where you will be mentor less as I go and do some training of my own."

"And where might that be?" I said holding my arms. His grin got even wider and he held up a silencing seal. Oh, snap, I took the bait. I felt a whir of wind signifying a Genjutsu activated."I want the cursed seal to be stronger. I will go to Ryūchi Cave so we may acquire the power to harness natural energy so I may inject that and maybe develop a way to exceed powers only a _Jinchūriki_ can accomplish.. Not only will I get to be more powerful but I will also get to see the reaction of my seal when exposed to natural energy." He said in a rush, absentmindedly licking his lips with anticipation. Gross.

"But in the mean time," he sighed. He did the ox-dog-rat hand seals and blew and suddenly, a gust of wind continuously rotated and shielded him. "Wind Release: Wind Wall. A defensive ninjutsu. I have taught you much offensive skills honed your reflexes but there are times when dodging and blocking with your hands is not an option." I nodded excitedly. "Now demonstrate it." He said, full on teacher mode.

I did the hand seals and blew.

A gentle breeze past by us.

Oh yeah. Chakra conversion. Right.

"What was that?" He said darkly.

"Uh, I may have forgotten about my chakra conversion problems." I said awkwardly. "I can convert my base chakra into medical-ninjutsu but it took me months to do it." I scratched my cheek awkwardly. He stared at me like I was the most revolting and stupid person on the planet. "This will be a setback..." He drawled on "I will teach you the Camouflage Jutsu first then. Surely your affinity of genjutsu will save you from this lesson." He sighed irritably.

Tee hee.

Must be irritating for his normally prodigious student not excelling at his life's ambition.

* * *

AN.

With Semestral Break looming, maybe _just maybe_ I might start double posting next week. Who knows?

Also, constructive criticism would be very much appreciated. I do _not_ my baby want to fall into the pit known as _Mary-Sueness_. She'll get one last predictable power up then she'll work her way from there. Y'all can probably guess what it is, even if I asked you to put in in a review. Anyway, Enjoy life because Tokina certainly a'int :)

(54 faves and 84 follows *squeals)


	9. Chapter 9: Killing me slowly but like no

AN.

I am **_so_** sorry that I forgot to post and edit a chapter last Saturday. Skyrim just possessed me _yet_ again and here I am, editing and posting this in the middle of 10:43pm when I was writing my fanfic and I was like _shit I posted this already, didn't I? Fuck me._

So here we are

Usual trigger warnings, etc. etc. Oh, maybe even grammar errors like the word _buy_ should be _by_ that sort of thing. Maybe. I dunno.

Sorry about that.

I'll do better at Sunday.

Y'all should be used to this by now.

* * *

"You have got to be kidding me." The Snake Sannin hissed at me, the third week of trying to get an elemental transformation out of me still not working. I told him I had some sort of chakra cancer (the doctors didn't say what I had, nor did they know what I had) but no, he was just pushing it. I did the handseals which I memorized by heart now, tried converting and blew.

But nothing happened,

As usual,

"I didn't take you in to be a failure." Orochimaru hissed at me again. Honestly, with all the killing intent he gave me, I was surprised that I hadn't dropped dead. Maybe it was the fact that I got used to it or something. I dunno, making wind do my bidding wasn't my thing.

Chakra paper wasn't working well either.

He bought a pack (the generous snake that he is) and I used it all up.

Is what I wanted to say when all of them didn't even respond to my chakra.

He saw this as a challenge; I saw this as a hindrance.

"Shishou, this isn't going to happen." I complained for the umpteenth time to the determined Sannin. He gave me his coldest glare which I pointedly ignored as he tried examining me. "I know a bunch of other jutsu that doesn't need elemental transformation. Genjutsu here, Taijutsu there, a few senbons to the throat, eye and groin would put any ninja to sleep." I reassured the man(?) with a smile.

Honestly, I was kind of sad as well since I was a big fan of elemental manipulation and the Avatar in general. I always wanted to be a wind bender, getting the air out of someone's lungs was dark; especially for a kids show.

Which, as a teen, I absolutely _adored_.

It was Courage the Cowardly dog all over again, with its dark yet low-key themes and the fact that it wasn't afraid to stick a dildo up the kid's brain. There was a thin line between humor, children shows and darkness that the show kept on balancing. I always liked it when it "tripped" to the dark side momentarily.

But that's beside the point.

"We are going to work on this."

And so we did.

Well, so he thought. I, on the other hand, experimented with what I can do with genjutsu. I could make a world out of thin air using chakra, butterflies and good imagination and with all the anime I watched; boy do I have _a lot_ of imagination. Witch Labyrinths from Madoka Magica is going to be my next genjutsu after World of Butterflies but that was a far-off dream for now. Right now, I was recreating jutsu with genjutsu to stop Orochimaru's incessant nagging. They didn't show this in the anime or manga, that's for sure.

So, at the start of training (which was ninjutsu training), I successfully tricked a Sannin into thinking I did the ninjutsu. I had to do it perfectly, the wind blowing, the feeling of it, the sound of it, how the chakra senses to him. It was hard, time consuming and over all a pain but if it saved me from his…determination then it would have been worth it.

Seeing Orochimaru do a Maito Gai…

Traumatizing shit right there.

ASDASdSADASd

"A C-rank? Already? I heard Bakashi's still weeding!" Obito cackled as we walked to that ramen place he was talking about. A few weeks passed after that incident and Orochimaru decided that weeding and painting fences isn't going to befit his protégé this time. I improved my chakra control and taijutsu over the course of time. Vacuum Palm is going to become really handy. Thank God there were Branch Member taijutsu instructors. I wouldn't want to be in a perpetual standstill in one of the things I'm barely good at.

"Man, I wish someone would give me an apprenticeship! That way I'd become stronger faster, right Rin?" He nudged his crush who nodded solemnly. The brunette sighed irritably.

"With Akane-san on a mission, I do admit that not learning at my pace is getting a bit…slower." She confessed. "The Hospital's curriculum isn't as advanced as Akane-san's. All I can do is be patient, I guess."She sighed dejectedly and gave me a smile like the precious girlie she was. I could see why Obito had the hots for her. If I was gay, I would totally hit on her.

Except I wouldn't,

Because I like dicks,

With a passion,

I'm fine with gay people, don't get me wrong. My best friend in my life before was gay. I slightly envied him, though. He got a boyfriend way before I did and that just wasn't fair. I wasn't entitled to it or anything but, hey, let me get into that dick sucking before I kicked the bucket.

Woah, where the hell did that come from?

Moving on.

"How's training with Orochimaru-sama going? Not straining yourself too much I hope?" She added a _slight_ scolding tune to that last part. She was such a mama bear when she needs to be.

"No not really, just one new jutsu and general Snake Style Taijutsu training, you know, without the snakes." I complained. Seriously, when is he going to give me the good stuff? I _know_ that you can have multiple summons. Sasuke was a testament to that! Sure he was _Sasuske_ but, dammit if I wanted to become a Disney Princess then so be it _I damn will!_ "The real fun starts after I complete five more C-ranks." I rolled my eyes. "I don't really know but..." I waited for ourselves to get seated and get our orders.

"I may go on long missions. I don't know, I'm going to be passed on like a used rag since Shishou will be going away." I tried whispering quietly. Obviously judging by the Obito's shock and Rin's sad face, I failed. Genjutsu specialist that can heal?! Has the world gone mad?! Seriously, it's like Konoha doesn't have _any_ support-nin in this generation.

"What the hell?!" Obito screeched. "What kind of mission takes four years?!" Rin tried to calm him down to save face. We are in public after all.

"Easy there, I'm still going to be in Konoha! Not just all the time..." When our orders came, I immediately dug in to prevent a potential word vomit.

"Obito," Rin, the monster, glared at Obito in warning. Like a cautious lion, he backed away slowly. "Don't worry, Tokina-chan." She redirected her gaze that could make Medusa cry in shame to me this time with a plesant smile. "We understand, we'll keep the house clean till your parents or you come back from missions" She patted my back, making the butterflies that seem to always accompany me flutter away.

To my head and shoulders that is.

I don't think they understood "I miss my parents." When I was sobbing like an angry baby out for vengeance.

I gave her a tight lipped smile. "Thank you," she grinned back and ate her food. Obito decided to speak up. "But what about team assignments?" He said dejectedly.

"That would mean you wouldn't be in the same team in me and Rin." He frowned at the thought. I chuckled "I think I'll be back for grad. Assignments. Who knows, I might be. I am a genin after all." I replied cheerily.

I knew I wasn't. I would probably end up in the Medic-Corps led by Tsunade or something. I don't know, chakra control is really valuable in wars like this. Better than the frontlines anyway. At least it boosts his mood up. "But why until we graduate? What's so special?" He questioned. I smiled mischievously "I'll just say I won't be the only student he'll be teaching and leave it at that,hm?"

Rin caught on and snickered when she saw the confusion on Obito's face.

It was cute and funny at the same time.

ASDASDADSAD

Weeks flew by as the start of my C-rank came. We were tasked to escort to escort a bunch of ninja to another team near the border.

We were running through trees far too long that the novelty of being outside of the village has wore out. We haven't taken our first break yet but I already want to sleep. "How undeniably droll." Orochimaru muttered. Wow. What an exciting first C-rank.

I fucking love it.

Boring meant No excitement. No Excitement meant nothing is going on. Nothing going on meant safe. Safe meant life. I like life. I'll choose life over excitement any day. It seems my mentor does not share my sentiments. We ran around a bit more when I needed a water break. Shishou smiled "I admitted that I expected you to ask approximately thirty two minutes ago." He said smugly. "Must be the _gift_ I gave you. " I rolled my eyed and drank half of my canteen.

It was probably my butterfly summons making me physically lighter. I could have sworn that sometimes my feet failed to touch the branch sometimes.

Honestly, he is so proud sometimes-I'm sorry, _all the time_ \- that it's borderline triggering. As someone who killed herself, humility is one of my strong suits. I mean _strong suits_. Strong to a damn fault. Seeing someone act like a king that could order the world with one word and a smack of a scepter made me irritated in levels I cannot believe. Snakes are proud creatures, I get that. But holy shit, that is just killing it.

But I can't say that in his face.

Bitch would stab me in the throat.

I continued my thoughts in that happy little trail before I heard a branch rustle. We stopped for a break when we heard it. Just to be safe, I activated my Byakugan. Orochimaru perked up on the potential violence. Damn he must really be bored. I threw a senbon at the small target's tenketsu point near the neck. A thud resounded and so the rustling of leaves. I summoned a kaleidoscope of butterflies with to retrieve it with a clap. The nin with us looked curiously at the rabbit being held up by butterfly with a senbon on its neck.

"It was a rabbit, shishou. No need to get testy." I rolled my eyes at his obvious displeasure. "I'll get it for dinner." I began walking towards the dead animal when shishou put his hand on my shoulder. "Wait..." He glared at the seemingly dead rabbit.

Then three sets of tenketsu points flared into existence. Shishou roughly pushed me away. I felt a kunai whir near my ear. I turned around to find this massive wall of muscle smirking down on me. "The Snake Sanin and his brat!" He said glaring down in me with killing intent.

Puh-lease. Snake Shihou rained down that shit by the truck load.

 _For training._

"Ooooh, the money we'll get off if them!" He said confidently, punching his knuckles with brass fists together. He didn't have a forehead protector or any kind of sigil on so it was safe to assume that it was bandits who knew what they were doing but too stupid to comprehend it. What the fuck kind of ninja uses brass knuckles? Aren't they heavy?

"Fire Release: Blazing Hot Knuckles!"

His fist turned blue with chakra. Then red with fire. Oh, that kind. Oh shit, nintaijutsu!? It is probably safe to assume that he's a taijutsu specialist that had an affinity for fire release then. _Lucky him_ I thought bitterly. I poured chakra into my butterfly seal and seemingly turned into butterflies at his touch, immediately caught in my genjutsu. I seemingly manifested near the Konoha ninja and Orochimaru.

"Orders?" I asked my mentor.

I can't see their forehead protector's sigil even with my Byakugan on, but that could also be genjutsu. Tsk, war time C-ranks are way different than peace time C-ranks. The same thing is, sadly, the pay. I'm running out of my parent's life savings, and need those funds.

"Continue the mission. I'll kill them" He eyed the wall of meat casually. "Let me see what I have taught you so far." He smiled sadistically before vanishing in speed that rivaled a body flicker, and then the screams happened.

Sadistic bitch.

I nodded at the three other Konoha nin. They gave me an affirmative before we set back to running, me being the in lead. Okay, war time. This was to he expected. Using my Byakugan, I could tell that there were at least two pursuers. Thinking of options, I began channeling a lot of chakra and clapped after doing the summoning jutsu. A swarm of butterflies appeared around me, flying in impressive speeds to keep up with me.

"Akinosuke-san, I need you to distract them." I told the kaleidoscope. The butterflies fell back, missing the three other Konoha nin and went instantly for the pursuers. I saw how their chakra flared up, the sign of successful genjutsu, before they lagged behind my range. I blinked my Byakugan away, not risking overuse, and focused on the mission.

So far so good for my first C-Rank mission.

* * *

Orochimaru (looking pleased at being covered in small patches of blood) met up with me at the border after two days. The mission was completed and were headed home when enemy reinforcements arrived, you know. The plot twist.

Like in all shounen anime.

Except I was a girlie.

So Naruto was being a brat even before he was born.

"Those are a lot of clones, who even has chakra reserves that many." I whispered to my sensei. We were behind a rock casually eating a rabbit while our"predators" stalked us. What they didn't know is that a hundred so vipers were surrounding them, silently climbing the trees and so on as Akinosuke's various body parts began surrounding them innocently in plain sight.

Either way, it still grates my nerves. "Training and good genes," He answered knowingly, the smug bitch. His smile got even wider, usually when a person goes into battle, they frown or something, but the nutty guy I got for a mentor smiles. For a guy who doesn't like death, he sure is okay with it. I sighed and drew three more senbon.

"By your signal, Shishou." I put down my rabbit hunch (fried by Orochimaru via oversized finger flame which I want to learn but can't thanks to ineptness) "Only use one senbon, you can't decipher clones from the real thing yet, can you?" He bit out condescendingly, oh this bitch.

"Well maybe if I had parents with Byakugan I could have." I said mildly thoughtful. "Oh wait, I did." I bit out vehemently "I wonder whose fault that was?" Before he opened his poisonous trap he calls his mouth, I threw a senbon to the man hiding on the tree, I missed the heart by a few inches but it was a fake anyway. The clones and maybe real person,

Can't really tell since no one would teach me,

I should work on that.

The snakes bit in simultaneously at their targets as the butterflies activated their genjutsu to secure them. The sound of poofing resounded the otherwise quiet forest but only one thud was heard. "Are ninjas built for falling from high places even without chakra?" I asked my mentor, mildly concerned that we lost the informant to something stupid like not catching their fall. "The poison only paralyzes the nerves. If they are half of a ninja they claim to be, they would channel their chakra to get the brunt of the damage." He said all sagely despite the insult he casually just made. "What I want to see is the person that made the ruffian I interrogated while you were completing the objective. He defended this person before I forced a snake down his-"

"Let's go get the prisoner, yeah?" I ushered, running away from a creepy and not so obviously old man who felt a bit generous with details right now. I heard him chuckle but rushed for the poisoned man. Ugh, show off. The man was twitching when we got there, and I saw a look of horror dilute his eyes when he saw me and Orochimaru. Well, mostly Orochimaru since he got the dirty Kunai he did nasty things with to his last prisoner and licked the blade. I do not really see the appeal of that. "My,my, look what the cat dragged in." He drawled, ripping the forehead protector from the Iwa-nin. In the ninja world, I learnt that ripping your village's sigil off their bodies is a great insult to their power and village. Orochimaru looked like he couldn't be bothered with it. He put it in his pack and eyed me with sadistic glint in his serpentine pupils.

Aw, at least he cares.

"Do you want to do the honors?" He looked at his dirty kunai longingly, obviously not wanting me to do _the honors_.

I couldn't tell if it was an act to scare the poor man or if he really means it. Either way, "No thanks, Shishou...I'll go replenish our water." I got his tumbler and head out. According to the map, there should be a grove around here somewhere.

I reached the grove which the butterflies led me to and sighed as I dunked the bottles in the clear water. I am not cut out for this ninja shit, sure I could handle myself fairly well but I literally cannot kill for shit. In this world, it's kill or be killed and here I am trying to make a path in between. Why couldn't I be reincarnated in a peace time era? I can't handle a war and keep myself alive in this glorified dog hole.

Whatever, I'll sort this shit out later. I need to go back to the bitch that started all this. Is what I thought before I felt something cold and sharp hovering near my throat.

"Don't move if you want to die." A cold gravelly voiced said.

Oh Jesus fucking Christ.

I dropped my arms to my side slowly. I silently began channeling chakra to my seal, all the while chanting 'this cannot be happening, this cannot be happening' over and over again.

"Now, girl," He pressed the kunai a little bit harder on my neck. "Tell me why you're here fucking up my mission and everything you to know." He drawled on, perfectly calm. Poor guy, though. Only wanting to get paid, probably had a rough Weekend if he was this affected by a mission. He was deep inside Konoha though, so that was worrying.

 _Okay, Tokina no need to panic. There are jutsus to be done in this kind of situation. Orochimaru said that the best way of winning is making the opponent lower their guard thinking they have overwhelmed you._

 _Well, he did._

 _Now what? Do a Naruto and Talk-No-Jutsu?_

Oh wait, I had genjutsu and butterflies. Dur

As if on cue, I vanished from his grip, being replaced by multitude of butterflies,

"Holy-!"

Out if sheer reflex, I got a senbon and tried to stab his back but he was faster. He got my arm and twisted it, eliciting a pained scream from me before he clammed my mouth shut and continued where we left off He strengthened his grip, painfully pulling my waist length hair I gagged.

"Think butterflies are pretty kid?" He smirked maliciously before cutting a part of my neck. I gasped as blood slowly spilt out.

Nononononono.

"Okay, okay! I do not know what your mission is or what it was but I have info!" I begged. I couldn't risk activating my Byakugan to check for Shishou who really needs to teach me about these kinds of situations so I did what my self-preservation told me. Feed him little by little. "You want Yellow Flash, you got Yellow Flash. Just ease up on the kunai! Please." I strangled out and he reluctantly complied. The butterflies around me took this chance of weakness.

As he opened his mouth, and in a surprising burst of speed, Akinosuke butterfly form immediately went to scratching, poking and piercing his mouth with whatever butterflies had as they entered his throat, making him choke.

That was fucked up.

I dropped down to my knees, ignoring the inhumane muffles he made as butterflies forced themselves into him, scratching his face painfully with their chakra imbued legs. I inhaled all the air I could take in as I scrambled the seals for Mystic Palm.

When I channeled my chakra instead of the minty green hue, I found that my palm literally could not move out of panic and stress.

What the he-

Okay, calm down or you're going to drive yourself into a coma at Mystic Palm overload and or freeze yourself with this magic voodoo shit

I calmed my breathing and redid the seals I grew so familiar with my mom. My fingers are shaking and cold but it will have to do. I hovered around my neck, successful with chakra conversion after maybe twenty or so seconds and felt instant relief. I groaned in satisfaction and let the pain be taken away. Holy shit. That was a close call.

A really close call.

I never want to do it again.

I eyed the twitching body that was still choking from butterflies in my horror and astonishment as his face was scratched and red. The butterflies got out from his mouth innocently, fine and unharmed. He was still breathing, though. I stood up and stopped the relaxing jutsu and trudged slowly.

I flinched when I saw the look on his eyes. Pure unadulterated hatred. I steeled myself and picked up the kunai he was going to use to kill me from the ground. He was supposed to be paralyzed from the Monarch's enhanced poison or genjutsu but I could have sworn that his lips twitched with amusement. He continued his scathing glare even though he perfectly knew where this was going to lead to.

 _Do it_. The cold eyes dared me. I kneeled down and drew the kunai near his neck with four large holes. The butterflies backed away in respect like the alpha wolf calling dibs on something. They really shouldn't since I was visibly shaking. When I heard my hitched breathing, I made up my mind.

I can't do this. I threw the kunai away in shame. A ninja who couldn't kill? How precious is this? I couldn't do this. He looked at me like I was a riot. "I just can't..." I muttered to myself. I covered my eyes and heard him grunting in pain. I heard him breath in desperation.

 _The water was cold, so cold, so very_ _ **very**_ _cold._

I needed air. I wanted air. I would kill for air.

"Stop!" I ordered the butterflies that were absorbing his chakra to death. "Just...thank you for the good work. Let's go back to Orochimaru." They complied. I sensed if they had eyes they would have used it to give me a look to tell me that I was the biggest idiot in history. Maybe I was. They fluttered around me and gave the chakra they absorbed from the man. I eyed the bushy haired brunette who, if he had the will to move, scoff at me. I took his forehead protector and went back to my mentor.

When I got there he looked at me with cold eyes. He swiped the forehead protector I was using as a lifeline to calm myself down. "Disappointing." He turned around briskly as I held my arms in reassurance. He body flickered away like I my cowardice was contagious.

I let go of my arms and followed him back to Konoha.

My hands feel dirty even though I didn't even do anything.

* * *

AN.

To say sorry, I will double post. AKA I'm posting another chapter on Sunday, the last day of my SEM. Break. Which is sad, since I thought yesterday was Thursday. Damn camping at the graveyard, making my internal clock all wacky. Whatever, though. Editing is fun, writing more so.

OH YEAH! I should warn y'all.

This fanfic will **_change people and situations a lot_**. Like, I'm literally going to take away shit and change them for others. I'm not saying what, who or when but an example of this (AND JUST AN EXAMPLE) is Naruto with...I don't know, the Sharingan or something. That level of change in power. So if your not a fan of _what if_ scenarios because this fanfic (the future of it at least) will revolve around the what if scenarios then I suggest you unfavorite, unfollow or whatever. I don't want to waste your time.

But if you DO and want to give my ideas a chance then go for it.

If you DON'T, sorry about warning you this late in.

Other than that, happy November! Stay safe, drink lots of water and DON'T FORGET TO EDIT. Have a nice life :)


	10. Chapter 10: Yellow hiss hiss die

AN.

I also forgot to mention a time skip.

Whoops.

Usual warnings.

Also, I'm running out of witty titles.

* * *

A year flew by and so did the C-ranks. Six years old and I still couldn't bring myself to do the finishing blow, no matter how hard Orochimaru pushed me. I did occasionally and consciously but it made me feeling like scum. I had to rely on my summons who choked them or made them kill themselves and my poisoned senbons to finish the job while I wasn't looking. Anikosuke told me to take my time but no matter how motherly he was, I knew he was growing impatient in my ineptitude to slit someone's throat or let him absorb all their chakra. I was the killer-for-hire that couldn't kill. It was pathetic. If only I had Naruto's super rare Kekkai Genkai called Tank-no-Jutsu. Usually, if I ever felt like scum I would bury myself in RPG games and playing the piano but since those two guilty pleasures are gone, I buried myself in Jyūken training and genjutsu practice.

In that same year, Orochimaru bid farewell to me and nonchalantly gave me the Snake Summoning Scroll for safe keeping.

I stared at the scroll then at the man who was wearing the Chunin vest I grew accustomed to seeing. He didn't have any travel gear on so I presumed that he would make a stop at one of his laboratories that I never got to see.

Nor do I want to see.

Naked babies floating in ominous waters inside giant test tubes; not a sight I would ever consider embedding in my mind.

"Whether you want to sign it or not is up to you." He waved off as he walked out of the gate. I walked to the Hyūga compound in relative silent, the scroll bundled up in my arms. I opened the door to my room, opened a chest and dumped it in.

I didn't want to sign it _yet_. I'll only do it if I'm desperate. If I do sign it, I would use the power. That is a fact. The problem is that I'll forever be associated with Orochimaru after he defects and I'm damn well sure little old me couldn't influence the Sannin to change his ways nor do I want him Hokage. Even more so after Konoha Crush. Hyūga would probably protect me, sure but it I would have the same treatment as a Jinchūriki despite only having the power to summon a danger noodle in my sleeve.

Fucking Konoha,

Friendliest town there is.

At least I had Akinosuke for support.

Speaking of the butterfly king, he seemed to take interest in my cursed seal, drug, poison or whatever. The butterflies fluttered anxiously as they landed on my shoulder one night as I was reading a book on the human psychology to help my genjutsu become more believable all the while trying to enhance my chakra control so my World of Butterflies wouldn't be cut off by a _fucking_ pebble or a kunai near my neck.

That is the one story I do not want to tell.

As I read about the different colors and the effects, Akinosuke whispered something to my ear. "I could try sucking all the evil chakra within you." He recommended thoughtfully as I bookmarked the page I was on and favored the conversation about my future Horcrux which I wanted out of my body ASAP. I would try almost anything to get it out. I contemplated on asking Hiruzen but decided against it. We were in a war we were losing. I'm sure if their desperate enough they would do anything to achieve victory. "But what would the effect of Orochimaru's chakra do to you?"

The butterfly on my right shoulder fluttered a bit proudly before biting into my neck, where the evil chakra was supposed to be focused in. It was relieving that Orochimaru himself sealed it up just in case but he could have just removed it all together. I stopped the reflex of wanting to smack it. Akinosuke probably wouldn't approve of that. The butterfly twitched and collapsed on the floor, dead. I rubbed the part where he bit. "It has countermeasures." he reported while another butterfly fluttered out of nowhere and replaced the dead one which poofed away.

"Of course," I sighed and continued reading the paragraph about colors and what they do to us.

* * *

I reported in for my not so first D-Rank mission without my mentor, using what I've learnt from books about psychology to enhance my butterfly genjutsu on children (an innocent butterfly just landed on their nose and they fell asleep as they dreamt of a certain boy with a lighting scar on his forehead. What was so wrong about that?), and occasionally helping out in the hospital because I knew how to do and had enough control for the Mystic Palm Jutsu. In weekends, I ran into Rin sometimes who smiled and waved before being ordered again by a badgered nurse.

I was expecting to be given another D-Rank when I entered Hiruzen's office when he smiled up at me. The butterflies around me fluttered anxiously at the weird gesture. "Tokina-chan, how would a C-rank sound?" My min stopped.

Horrible,

"Hokage-sama, Orochimaru-shishou isn't here to supervise me." I stated the obvious to the old man. He nodded. "But I cannot stand and watch an able kunoichi such as yourself to waste away in this village when you could be an asset to the war." He reasoned and handed me a scroll. Oh but I can. My textbook was getting interesting. Besides, who said Medic-nins aren't an asset to the war? You literally taught the best one and you're literally sending a six year old out to who knows where?

"I'm assigning you to a temporary team assignment. Just for this mission." He reassured my nervous self. I bowed and left the office with the devilish scroll in my hands. With a deep sigh and a resignation to my fate, I opened it

Another escort mission near the fire country border. Two days and one night estimated.

Namikaze Minato

Hatake Kakashi

Hyūga Tokina.

Perfect. Absolutely brilliant. I'm going to third wheel on the dynamic duo's thunder.

It would be okay except for the fact that they probably had the _worst luck ever_ and that one of the members _hates_ me. I wouldn't blame Kakashi. I abused his memories about his father.

I just hope he wouldn't let an enemy nin stab me in the back or something.

Hey, don't judge me. He doesn't have character development yet so for now, I have to deal with this little shit.

I pocketed the scroll away, and knowing destiny, they would bomb in at me as I practiced my Jyūken in Training Ground 6. You'll see, they wouldn't even have a logical explanation for why they were in Training Ground 6. They'll just be there and use Talk-no-Jutsu on my ass. I practiced Jyūken and my genjutsu before I felt the butterflies around the perimeter flutter anxiously.

"Hello there, I couldn't help but wonder if your Hyūga Tokina? Orochimaru's apprentice?" A young male introduced, breaking my concentration. I opened my eyes to see the young and lean blonde's voice broke through my concentration. I repressed the pout and instead stood up, butterflies instantly fluttering sound me as they seized up the new guy.

Not that they knew that.

Also, told you so.

Whoever you might be,

I need therapy.

"Ah, yes I am. I assume your Namikaze-san?" I smiled at the Jonin and his little shit. The same guy that unknowingly got me into a hostage situation so that Iwa could get a weakness out of him but he didn't know that and that would make a bad conversation topic. He nodded and beamed. "It seems we'll be teammates for this mission."

The butterfly rested after getting a small _generous_ sample of his chakra. "I believe so." It was nice that someone (or something) was looking out for me. Even if they are paranoid little shits. "Anyway, I would like to introduce you to your other teammate, Hatake Kakashi but he insisted on getting ready." He exasperatedly confessed.

Eh, just like him to avoid confrontation.

"Ah, its fine Namikaze-san. We were…"

Opponents?

Rivals?

Did he even consider me as a rival?

Probably not, maybe a nuisance or something,

"Batch mates." I finished with a smile. He raised an eyebrow as I chuckled bemusedly, desperate to change the subject of our failed relationship. "So when do we meet up for the mission, Namikaze-san?" I asked professionally, wanting to go back to my genjutsu practice.

He looked thoughtful for a second. "Village gate at 6am?" He asked me. Not like I had a choice. You are the team leader.

I nodded. "Okay. See you then, Namikaze-san." I said politely. He looked like he had something more to say but decided against it. He waved and teleported away.

Well that happened.

I sat back down; pushing back all the worried thoughts I had for the mission and channeled my chakra once more, focusing on the memory of music, happiness and tickling ivories. After doing _a lot_ of hand seals I clapped my hands.

"Mangyekō Illsuion: World of Butterflies." I muttered to myself. The grass and sky fluttered away like butterfly wings, being replaced by people watching a single asian girl play Canon in D. I smiled at the memory as the girl fumbled through the piece.

* * *

I reached the village gate at around 5:40 am. My small pack rustled with the things I need to survive two days and a night away from the village. I replenished my senbons and kunai while my shuriken pouch still remained unused, being glorified fidget spinners. The duo gave an assessing glance, the smaller one scoffing and the taller one casually waving. I waved back, a butterfly persistently on my finger.

"Namikaze-san." A smile, "Hatake-san." A sneer, "Good morning." I greeted my temporary teammates with a bow. Kakashi rolled his eyes but Minato's grin seemed to get even wider. "Tokina-chan." Ah, so we're in first name basis, eh pretty boy? "This is Hatake Kakashi."

The boy in question snorted obnoxiously. "We met. I beat her in the genin exams." He reminded with a proud huff.

Wow. So much for thinking he was mature. No wonder Obito thought he was a bastard.

I gave him a tightlipped smile. Minato looked exasperated at the silver haired genin's excuse for mannerisms and formalities. We went out the gate and immediately ran into our escorts in professional silence.

That was until Minato wanted to gauge my skill with an innocent "So, Tokina-chan. What can you do?" He asked mid-sprint.

"Well, I can use genjutsu and know Hyūga taijutsu and sparse medic-ninjutsu. I mostly focus on my genjutsu, though." I didn't need to say about my butterfly summons. I think it was a given seeing that a kaleidoscope was following me everywhere. He made a sound of acknowledgment.

"You must have excellent chakra control then." Minato praised as he hummed.

Kakashi snorted a knowing snort.

Its weird how there are different tunes of snorts. Disgusting, but amazing as well. I knew what a shady snort was; Obito did that shit on a daily basis.

"I guess," was my answer as our idle chit-chat died down when we met up with the other ninjas.

Welp, here it goes.

* * *

When we needed to take break for the night, and after our camps were made, we had the issue of trust despite being fellow Konoha-nin. Basically, Kakashi did not trust me to successfully guard them while they sleep when I literally have the Byakugan and butterfly summons that could report shit to me instantly from point A to point B.

he wanted first watch while they settled me into second, our "clients" needed all the rest they can get. It was diplomatic business. Hiruzen still wasn't giving up in the whole peace business, though. How can we achieve peace when this little shit right there thought I was inept just because I lost some rag-tag duel?!

Minato did look apologetic for his behavior though.

He should since the little shit threw pebbles at me to wake me up. I glared up at him, fixed my hair and activated my Byakugan with a huff. He looked completely clueless on what he did while my own kaleidoscope fluttered around me irritably. I sat down on the branch and scanned the area, parts of the butterfly king scattering and favoring a monarch to rely information to me as his personal mouth piece.

"I want to drain him till he wilts." The monarch chirped, promising a peaceful death. It was a shame how I shared the sentiments. "Let's be the mature once here." He rolled my mildly groggy eyes at the monarch. The night continued on like that before one butterfly relayed something on the last minutes of my shift.

 _Dammit,_

"Enemy ninja approaching the left. Proceeding to trap, ensnare and drain." I nodded and quietly jumped off the branch. Okay, follow the protocol when an enemy-nin decides to be a hero. Wake the rest and distract the intruder. I made a swarm of butterflies wake the ninja up as I proceeded to the threat. I trust that my personal summon would ensnare the target.

Who needs dogs anyway?

When I reached there, the man's eyes were diluted as butterflies landed in different parts of his body, a pink monarch innocently resting on his head. I began the Mangeykō Illusion: World of Butterflies.

The night banished as my head temporarily hosted some of his memories. The butterflies signaled that the nin were awake and following them. Okay then, distract while I trap.

The muscular man blinked up at a familiar kitchen. "What? But how did I...?"

While my hands remained clasped, I focused on the memory and illusion while the butterflies relayed information and made sure that there was only one enemy nin. The door opened to a pregnant woman who looked at the man lovingly as she caressed her bulging stomach.

"Yato-kun. You're finally here." Her gentle voice greeted the man named Yato. He had tears in his eyes. "D-darling!" He stuttered and ran up to her, hugging her.

" _They have him surrounded. You may drop the genjutsu now. Good work by the way, of you continue this than you'll master the rest of the Mangyekō series faster than I expected."_ A young and pleasant voice was heard throughout the illusion that wasn't heard by the man who was busy having a heartfelt reunion that made my heart churn.

Welp, I can cut the genjutsu now, though.

I am so going to feel like scum after this.

She kissed the muscular man on the cheek and looked at him a sadly, as if begging for forgiveness. "I'm sorry." She apologized as she fluttered into butterflies.

"Wh-what?!"

The world gave way and fluttered back near me, revealing the now awake man who was now surrounded by ninja. The butterflies landed in me as they began using his chakra to replenish the jutsu I used to trap him in the illusion. Minato patted my shoulder. "Good work." He smiled at me.

Before throwing a plain kunai on his forehead.

I turned away abruptly and tensed. That went from zero to one hundred real quick! I composed myself as the butterflies around me fluttered to my rescue, giving of a soothing genjutsu aura. I guess there was no room for interrogations or prisoners. The man had ninja level chakra (reported my Byakugan) but no sigil of the sorts. It would have been nice to know _why_ he left his wife for this mission.

I deeply sighed. I was being irrational.

No I was not.

Dead body.

 _Ew._

"Excellent genjutsu, Tokina-chan!" The blonde praised

Damn straight it was excellent genjutsu. I studied to make it damn realistic as possible. I had to multi-task controlling the genjutsu while focusing Akinosuke just in case someone was going to sneak up on my ass and make sure that the ninja followed the damn trail of butterflies while focusing on the script of his wife, her word patterns all the while pouring chakra to keep the illusion alive.

I couldn't help but feel guilty by using his wife, his home, his peace so it would ultimately kill him. He had a pregnant wife to take care of. Where they rich? Where they poor? Using a fantasy they want so much as my killing tool, does that make me the same as them the killers? I didn't kill him, Minato did. I just orchestrated it. Did that made me a conspirator?

I'm not a murderer. I'm not.

"Thank you, Namikaze-san. I've been practicing." I accepted the praise with gratitude despite the turmoil in my mind. I'm going to forget all about his life anyway. The butterflies will make sure of that. Will he be remembered? Will his wife kill herself when the news of her husband is now another number added to the Yellow Flash's body count?

"Don't think about it too deeply." Akinosuke softly recommended. I nodded absentmindedly. He was right, there was nothing I could have done. I should have made his last dream a happy one.

"Tokina-chan? Is something wrong?" The blonde asked worriedly, eliciting a curious glance from his apprentice. We were to have a brief break before leaving to Konoha. Everything's wrong. I just killed off a family member of a three cell happy family of Iwa.

"Nothing's wrong, Namikaze-san." I pleasantly smiled to the worried Jonin. He didn't need to know my inner turmoil. Nobody needed to know. He nodded reluctantly as I made my way to the bathroom. I washed my face to get out of the funk I was in. I shouldn't question my morals here. A dark chocolate haired girl with lavender eyes stared back at me as two white and blue monarchs fluttered beside her.

"Don't worry, you'll forget about his life. I'll make sure of it." Akinosuke gently said through his butterfly mouthpiece. I nodded. "Thank you."

Kakashi, who made his presence known, snorted _again_.

After that, we continued the mission without the third shift. With the secret missive delivered, Minato congratulates is on a job well done as we made our way back to Konoha in professional silence.

I finally understood why Naruto used his Talk-no-Jutsu on people he knew had really bad circumstances.

* * *

AN.

I actually had **big** plans for this chapter.

had because I saw what was up next in the docx.

This one did _**not** _want to be edited honestly. I kinda feel I could have done more or something but whatever. It's feels boring in my opinion. Oh well, end of the semester break. Shame, really. I wanted to play more _Skyrim._ Back with the usual programming now. Enjoy Life :)


	11. Chapter 11: Thawing Ice 1

AN.

I really really _really_ wanted to add more to this chapter but I am in a literal deadline since parents expect me to be asleep since we are going to go on a trip tomorrow early in the morning so I am so sorry for any...mistakes you find.

I'll probably edit this when I get back because refuses to be edited in mobile :)

Usual warnings.

EDIT: literally just changed a number and detailed AN below (11/12/17)

* * *

Genjutsu was the answer to most of my problems and _might_ be the start of it as well.

Being a support-nin had its perks. I don't go to the front line often because of my –and I'm not bragging about this–high chunin level chakra control. That is really what I only had going for me. Genjutsu was a poor man's ninjutsu so I had to get better, which improved chakra control. Jyūken required precision chakra control so training on it didn't only increase my taijutsu skills but my chakra control skills _which also_ increases my genjutsu _and_ proficiency in medical-ninjutsu.

If I only had _Tsunade_ as a teacher,

Imagine the _ease_ of power punching and her seal.

All I had going for me were snakes. Snakes are fine, some species are borderline cute. But if I summoned _one_ , I will instantly be associated with Orochimaru which will give the _friendly village_ a reason to distrust me.

But other than that, I was loving genjutsu.

It was the whole reason why I didn't slit anybodies throats. I mean, think about it. Jyūken, which means _Gentle_ _Fist_ shocks the chakra coils into submission, not doing anything outside the body other than a small red dot. Medical-Ninjutsu _heals_ people. Senbons are meant to be _thrown_. Genjutsu affects the _inner_ chakra system.

Basically, I was trained and bred for dealing things that involved the internal structure of the body.

 _Not_ slitting throats.

Which was my only problem as a kunoichi.

I relied on my _genjutsu_ of all things to kill someone. It _isn't supposed to kill someone_. Which was kind of stupid in my opinion, maybe because the Naruto world didn't understand the concept of _jump scares_ and _heart attacks_?

An enemy-nin approaching?

Step one: Byakugan to locate them and to make sure I don't get stabbed in the back in the process.

Step two: Summon Akinosuke to help with chakra control and genjutsu.

Step three: Make a genjutsu that makes things really, _really_ tense.

Step four: another genjutsu that involves a nightmare face or anything generally surprising.

If you do all these steps correctly, the nin will either get a heart attack and _maybe_ die or be really shaken up for the others to pick-off.

Which leads me to the problem part,

Most people think I am the ideal teammate. I'm not bragging, the Hokage told me this when I was looking for a D-Rank to do. Apparently, I was second to a certain Hatake Kakashi with his no-bullshit attitude and professionalism as well as taking incentive when missions go wrong and when I mean go wrong I really mean _go wrong._ What I lack apparently is that I do not work well under pressure which is bad for someone who _needs_ to focus. Genjutsu specialist, overall pleasant and professional personality and knows Medical-Ninjutsu and can defend herself with taijutsu. Oh, and the Byakugan. Don't forget the Byakugan.

If they knew I put them in genjutsu when a fight breaks out so I wouldn't slit throats, they could literally _sue me_ for attacking them.

Only occasionally, like putting someone who was watching me fight. Byakugan told me they were waiting for me to deliver the blow. Genjutsu their ass so they wouldn't force me, show an illusion of me slitting a throat when in reality it was hundreds and hundreds of butterflies or maybe poison senbons doing the work for me.

Konoha likes their blades bloody.

I _do not_ slit throats. I inflict heart attacks _from the distance_ ; I throw needles at vital points _from a distance_. If I needed to defend myself, I mess up their chakra _but not inflict any wounds_.

I know, I need to get over that squeamish personality eventually, heck it's been a _year_ in the business but I was still adamant over the fact that I studied to be a _Musical Conductor_ in my past life, not a killer. I'm flipping _six_ you guys. I should be playing with dollies or studying basic math. I didn't want the ninja life. Hell, I bet the ninja life is pushing _itself_ from me with all the support missions I keep going to.

But no, war is war.

So I continued training myself solo-style in hopes that I have the power to _not_ slit throats.

Because heart attacks, chakra sealing, manipulating their emotions and needles to the heart and throat is way better than a few deep cuts.

Hey, at least it was clean.

I sat alone in Training Ground 6 once more, experimenting on the things I could do with my intangibility with a fully summoned Akinosuke. I've been practicing my Jyūken but without a sparring partner, I knew I wouldn't go so far. Ninjutsu is border line irritating me now, so I fully gave up on it aside from Summoning Jutsu and I'm too lazy to do any sort of physical conditioning except just running around Konoha. I brought my right hand up as I focused chakra to literally make it turn into butterflies. Not vanish into butterflies, turn invisible by genjutsu and seemingly manifest back into it. No. The hostage situation taught me that I can't keep using faux intangibility. Akinosuke was doing something with my summoning seal to make my body kind of like his.

Intangible,

If I could achieve partial intangibility, I'd be satisfied with that. He said my body has to be totally destroyed or have an accident that would be deemed irreparable to become fully intangible. My body would then become reminiscent of an Abumare, having aspects of a human with butterflies inside to act as coils.

But like, I don't want to destroy my body for that so...

Pouring a lot of chakra into my seal, I saw how my fingertips shudder when I didn't order them to. I narrowed my eyes at it. That feels really weird.

"Uh, what now?" I asked my mentor/personal summon. He was Monsieur Intangible. I was only trying to recreate his technique without actually killing myself.

Tried it,

Didn't like it,

"You must not feel your fingers but the butterflies you have made from your own body in a physical level. You must detach yourself from your physical body as the world's sky and abundant nature is open to you. Don't let physical confines cage your potential! "He explained like some weird ass hippie in a TV commercial advertising weed as he lifted his hand up and I watched how the butterflies that made up his fingers flutter around him. Seriously, if he says the " _be at peace with the world and your life_ " type of shit then I disowning him. "They must be easy to control, like moving your fingers."

Bitch, I haven't even managed to make butterflies out of _nowhere_ from chakra, much less make it out from my body.

I huffed at his calm and reassuring face as butterflies fluttered like they cheered me on. I pursed my lips as I focused.

My body is a cage.

I can do so much more.

I poured chakra into my butterfly seal silently and concentrated.

Staying silent...

Being one with the Earth...

I stayed like that for one hour before this tiny blue monarch erupted from my index. I blanched at it as the butterfly fluttered its wings dejectedly at me.

"I guess its progress?" I watched as the butterfly fluttered slowly around me before merging back to my finger. To become a pure embodiment of chakra, the ultimate form of the Mangyekō Illusion: Butterfly Body.

The not so illusion, illusion.

Akinosuke smirked at me before turning into butterflies himself. He fluttered to the sky and dismissed himself when he got too far. I couldn't help but fear what tomorrow may hold of a fake-prodigious student of the Sannin who can't even do a simple elemental transformation. I'm sure no doctor could help me because they probably would have by now. Maybe Tsunade could help me? The doctors even confessed that they didn't know what to do with me. Aside from the high Yin chakra I had (which helped my genjutsu _a lot_ so I wasn't complaining) they said that my chakra coils looked normal. I had no idea what to do for ninjutsu aside from Camouflage Jutsu and Summoning Jutsu which aren't _elemental_ transformations.

Maybe I should get a tantō or something. I pursed my lips in thought before deciding against it. Nah, I wouldn't have the discipline for it. Same goes for fūinjutsu. I wouldn't have the patience to deal with seals. I inherited dad's chicken scratch-like-hand writing. Mom and Orochimaru already supplied me with a life time supply of poison. What the hell can I do besides genjutsu and taijutsu? I had my birthright also known as the Byakugan but that's just it. A Byakugan. A Sharingan can turn into a three-tomoe Sharingan that can turn into a Mangyekō Sharingan which can turn into an Eternal Mangyekō Sharingan which can also turn into the damned Rinnegan if they met the requirements for it.

I activated my Byakugan. My vision enhanced as I gained the power of X-Ray vision and near perfect 360 degrees. Now what? All I can do is hit people where it hurts. What the hell makes the Byakugan the strongest dōjutsu amongst the three other dōjutsu which has the potential to slash mountains and control the planets itself? Self proclaimed, maybe.

What can the Byakugan do? Peep. Fucking. _Peep_.

I deactivated my dōjutsu as I failed to think of a way to make us of it besides driving companies that make glasses out of business. I began training my chakra control absentmindedly as I thought of ways to survive in this world. Okay, how to survive in the Naruto World as a ninja?

How to Survive in the Naruto Wolrd as a Ninja : Number one.

Become a sage.

I sighed dejectedly. I'm pretty sure Akinosuke isn't some sort of Butterfly Sage in disguise. Besides, the risk of turning into fucking stone like some idiotic dude peeping on Medusa while she was naked was not appealing to me.

How to Survive in the Naruto World as a Ninja: Number two.

Become a Jinchūriki.

Out of the question.

I already had voices inside my head that made me doubt my sanity and the recesses of depression was still there with the random bouts of apathy coming from nowhere so I would be easily manipulated by my Tailed Beast, whomever that be. There are many problems with that because, first of all, I would also be hunted down as an immediate S-Rank threat in all countries. I would instantly be shunned and treated as a monster by my own village all for the sake of hosting one of the anti-social nine who could give me their power if I made friends with them or fought them in a battle of wills. I'm no Naruto; I can't Talk-no-Jutsu my way out of every fight I didn't want to do. Which leads us to the third one.

How to Survive the Naruto World as a Ninja: Number three.

Become the Main Character.

The world is literally called _Naruto_. I'm sure I don't have Kishimoto's gracious plot-armor.

How to Survive the Naruto World as a Ninja: Number four.

Be born in a prestigious clan with a Kekkai Genkai. AKA the following, preference and suggestion in descending order.

Uchiha for the Sharingan Hacks.

Uzumaki for the fūinjutsu skills, chakra chains, bigass chakra reserves. Killer red hair is optional.

Senju for the potential of Wood Release, the best Kekkai Genkai there is.

Sadly, I am a Hyūga with the Byakugan, which I do not know how to use other than for taijutsu and making sure I don't get stabbed in the back by casting my genjutsu. I could sign that snake summoning scroll. Akinosuke was all nonchalant about it but I still having second thoughts.

He was going to defect and I do _not_ want to be associated with him.

I'll do it if I'm _desperate_.

And for now, I don't think I need to cross that line.

I stared at the afternoon sky, lost in thought and consumed by fear. I sighed deeply and tried to bury my inner musings. Just thinking about it wouldn't help. Maybe there was something I could improve besides my Shurikenjutsu because, no, I still do not approve of fidget spinners as weapons, no matter how cool looking fūma shurikens are. I began my handseals, doing the final clap and summoned butterflies again.

Mangyekō Illusion: World of Butterflies.

Or you know, some asshole could fucking interrupt me when I was about to see if I could at least try to live before taking my chances and killing myself again with crossed fingers to at least be in a 1st world country when I'm reborn. Death doesn't terrify me as much as pain does.

And Konoha is very picky to whom they sell their sleeping pills to.

The guy sent me to the Hokage tower. What would the Hokage do with a lowly genin like me? I thought of that as I opened the door to the Hokage's office. Hiruzen greeted me with a smile with a scroll that screamed C-Rank and more temporary teams and 'friendships.'

What friendships _aren't_ temporary anyway?

"Tokina-chan." I bowed, the two medium locks that escaped my bun going to my shoulder. He handed me the scroll and began briefing as always. Saying I was most capable and all that shit, don't disappoint. Same old same old. With a huff and a shrug, I opened the scroll. The band said 'for the village's interests' but the scroll said 'we are too low on human resources so you, a genin, should do it.'

B-Rank

Woah. Never mind. Hold the fucking phone.

Go to Sora-ku, negotiate with Nekobaa to use their supplies for the war.

Hyūga Tokina- Genin (6)

Uchiha Soma- Chunin (19) (Captain)

Yamanaka Taizo- Chunin (11)

Three major members of reputable clans going out to ask some old lady? A little bit of overkill? I'm sure an Uchiha and a Yamanaka could easily finish this mission. Yamanaka's are renowned for their mental play and strategies, be it Jutsu related or not. Uchihas have way better genjutsu then me ( _not_ up for debate) and could break out of genjutsu as easily as the Byakugan. What the hell did the need me for? Overkill for B-Rank? I get that we're losing a war but geez, how desperate would you be to ask for a cat hermit for their help? Besides, the Uchiha owns the place. They could just demand that they would wage an all out war on a bunch of cats if they didn't comply.

…Ninja cats.

Well to be fair, we didn't have the resources for this shit so…eh?

"Hokage-sama, are you sure I am needed in this mission?" I raised my eyebrow at the old man with brown hair, wrinkles prevalent under that hat. "With all respect, a Yamanaka and an Uchiha is enough to convince Nekomata and an old hermit." He chuckled.

"You'll see." He smiled at me ominously, "Now go, don't you have a mission to complete? Failure is not an option." He said the last part with the sternness of a man who has seen too much. I flinched at it but remained silent, slowly accepting my faith.

With a tired sigh, I made a beeline to buy a face mask. I'm _not_ risking tuberculosis. That is a massive pain, suicidal or not.

* * *

When people said that Uchiha's were hotter than their fire jutsu, they really weren't joking. I swear I could fan myself and it wouldn't be enough. I knew what Obito would look like and it wasn't all impressive. Sasuke wasn't beautiful as everyone says and Itachi was a big cinnamon roll that could kill.

This guy in front of me? Jesus Christ, if looks could kill then I'd be dead right now. I blinked at the boy and man in the sunrise of the village when we were preparing to leave. I shifted my pack in my right and looked away to stop ogling in front of the tall, lean Uchiha who tied his hair in a short pony tail and made that chunin vest work for him. And don't get me started in what he does to those standard shinobi black pants. The Yamanaka (who was probably all too used to this reaction by the kunoichi teammates he probably got.) chuckled good-naturedly.

"Hyūga Tokina, right?" His husky (no, Taichou, I'm too young damnit!) voice made my name his.

Okay. Stop with the Uchiha fan girling. You're better than this, Tokina.

Stop looking at his pants, dammit! Look up to his face, girl. Your parents didn't raise you like this! Chastity and purity! DON'T USE THE BYAKUGAN FOR THIS!

"Y-yes, Taichou." He raised a bushy eyebrow before shrugging at my red-faced, higher than normal voice. "Apprentice of the Sannin, eh? Let's see if you impress." Soma smiled at me which sent my heart to my throat. Taizo snorted before ushering his other two teammates to get a move on.

Sora-ku was literally four hours away from Konoha in one of the rare cases of our deserts. What, you thought only the Land of Wind had deserts? Well, meet Sora-ku, where the legends said that the 2nd Hokage literally wiped out the Uchiha in it by summoning a fucking ocean with intense pressure that made the valley into sand. It was probably a hyperbole but whatever. We were thirty minutes away when the Yamanaka next to me engaged in casual conversation.

"So, Tokina-san was it?" My head turned with a pleasant smile. He continued. "Were you briefed into what we were supposed to do?" He questioned, his brown hair in a long ponytail fluttered in the wind while his dark brown eyes hone with confusion.

I raised an eyebrow. That was strange. They weren't briefed as well? "Other than the objective, Hokage-sama didn't say anything special other than the usual 'Failure is not an option." I snorted inwardly. Sine when failure WAS an option, anyway? We were in a dammed war. Everything needs to he perfect.

He pursed his lips but let the conversation die there. We stopped when we were a foot near the abandoned building, cat hair and cat nip filled our senses. Speaking of senses, I felt their eyes on me as I 'smugly' put on my face mask. Heh, enjoy cat hair and cat shit, fellows.

"Is this the right building?" The brunette asked his superior. He shrugged and pocketed the scroll he was examining. He took of his bandana with the Konoha sigil and wrapped it around his face. That was intelligent. "Only one way to find out." Before he stepped forward, I activated my Byakugan which could see through things with ease in a 60 meter view.

There were small chakra signatures everywhere. I locked on a medium sized one with three other small chakra signatures. I nodded to them. "We're on the right building." I confirmed while deactivating my Byakugan as Soma briskly opened the door.

My eyes widened and I felt a grin coming in.

Did I die and go to heaven?

Oh wait, that doesnt happen now. You get reborn.

...fuck.

Any who, cute cats. Cute cars everywhere. Some giant, some walking on two legs and everything in between as they crawled on the gray concrete with multiple levels and boxes all around them. We huddled together (me basically abusing my height to stick to Soma's thicc thigh) and found the Nekobaa's hut with my Byakugan, only with tue occasional cat glancing and going back on it's merry way.

We entered the small (yet luxurious hut) with Soma needing to slouch a bit with his 6ft self, much to his inconvenience. "Oh? And are these rabble rousers?" The old lady with a crazy do said through slit eyes. She looked so weird with her gray her, black nose and cat ears. The cats around her purred and meowed and she seemed to understand what it's all about.

Soma was all business though, while Taizo admired and tried hard not to pet the cats. I wasn't faring any better. Thank god for my face mask, or I would probably be coughing when we get back. It's a little bit itchy and constricting, though. How the hell does Kakashi where this 24/7?

"Nekobaa, we have come to negotiate with you for Konoha's intrest-"

"Oh no, no, no." She interrupted my temporary captain. He pursed his lips and his eye twitched at the interjection but kept a cool head and face despite that. "I don't decide who to sell these to. I'm just the person who sells the supplies. Nekomata in the tallest tower is what you want. If you gain his trust, you'll gain mine." She got three weird ass cat headbands from SOMEWHERE and gave it to us. "These will help you understand Nekomata. Who knows? He might agree. Could never tell with that old cat."

Soma snatched the black ones (petty, that's hot. No, Tokina, he's like fifteen years your senior. Don't be perverted.) While we, the real (?) children settled for the white ones. We put it on, my head ached for a fraction before the noise of meowing and purring was replaced with human language. It sounded like a village bustling instead of some old fort now. Wow, that was actually pretty impressive. How does this thingy even work?

He took our leave and walked around the city of concrete, cats and wooden and sometimes cardboard boxes, stalls all around with cats walking on two legs selling their goods, frying fish and overall just being normal. Taizo fidgeted nervously when a cat brushed his leg.

"Scared of cats?" The innocent question made himturned a cute shade of pink before shaking his head. "N-no!" The brunette denied weakly. "The fur just feels weird, that's all. We grow cat nip so I'm used to the appearance of cats in our flower shop." Despite the bravado, he was still shift eyes, watching each cat like it might pounce and gouge his eyes out. I couldn't help but laugh. They were so cute and furry, though. Such soft fur.

I'm the original civilian born, boy. If anything, I'm the one that's supposed to be freaked out. Taizo looked unimpressed at my obvious amusement, the mask not working in...masking it. I demand a refund. Aninosuke fluttered near me, cats trying to claw him out of the air. He rested on my shoulder and relayed the whole map of the place, even though the Nekomata's hide out was super obvious with that white cat tower smack dabbed in the middle of the city, with it's annoying smirk.

"So, what's the plan in case Nekomata disagrees?" Soma smiled at the incentive to finish this mission as fast as possible with Taizo nodding in agreement. My captain's answer as simply activating his three tomoe Sharingan. "He won't. We'll make him." He answered cheekily.

Well. That works.

Us shorter ninjas followed suit into the dark and dreary tower, with blue torches lit up. Our sandals, despite our best efforts into hiding it, made a 'clack' sound against the wood. It seemed to go on endlessly before we reached a flight of stairs. We walked up, and couldnt help but gape (except Soma since he probably saw worse things) at the absolutely GIANT scarred white cat with its tail that seemed to diverge into two flailed around in curiosity. It's big yellow eyes gleamed in the blue eery lighting.

'Be careful. Bakenekos are a species that have special Fire Release jutsu, strong taijutsu and almost unbreakable genjutsu, requiring another person to break it or a dōjutsu.' Akinosuke reported to me. I nodded absentmindedly as we walked forward.

"And what are you three doing here in my tower?" The androgynous (it sounded like an old grandmother despite the deep voice) demon cat purred as it rose with its hind legs, revealing its real and already impressive height. _Fucking giant_. This isn't a job for shinobi, we need a fucking Eren Jeager up in this ass. The children (me and Taizo) tensed, his eye visibly twitched.

"You have got to be kidding me." The brunette muttered.

It wasn't a surprise that I shared his sentiments. This bitch (?) was fuking huge. How the hell did it fit in this room? Nekomata raised an eyebrow but said nothing at the rude language. Soma gave a sideways look of scolding to Taizo before returning on the matters on hand.

"We come in the name of Konoha to ask to use the supplies in this establishment to further her cause." He recited like a text book answer. The monster cat snorted, twisting and turning it's abnormally large whiskers. "And why should I do that?" The loud voice boomed, eliciting a wince from me. Ouch, I rubbed my ear. That hurt.

Soma came prepared, though. "Not only are you using an abandoned Uchiha supply cache as your building establishment, there have also been multiple reports of you selling black market goods to other countries." He activated his glowing red dōjutsu with a smile. "I, an Uchiha and a shinobi of Konoha, have every right to demand what is due for us."

"Then let me give you what's due for you!" The cat hissed before slamming its paw on where Soma was. I activated my Byakugan while blocking the rubble and steadying myself from the impact. I watched in admiration as Soma began toying with the gigantic beast of a cat. Body Flickering on top of its head before a giant paw swiped thin air. Regaining my senses (giant cat and captain currently in combat. Provide support you, dumb bimbo) I began doing the long process of the Mangyekō Illusions: World of Butterflies, unhindered by the giant monster since the Uchiha captain was busy distracting it. Wait, does it even work with animals?

"As long as they are sentient and have a mind and memories to tamper and desecrate, it will work."

That was dark, but okay.

I clapped my hands at the last seal, butterflies fluttering all around out of nowhere, the two other boys stopped (Soma flickering back to me while Taizo stopped his Mind Transfer Jutsu) and watched as the world melted into an array of lush green. The giant cat looked alert.

"A genjutsu user, eh?" It purred before doing a hand seal that looks so foreign on claws that big.

"Kai!"

I clenched my teeth, enduring the shaking sensation throughout my body, focusing on drawing out a memory to convince the damn cat to help us so I can go home and sleep or something. The world turned into an array of green, with a sparkling stream next to it. There was a giant looking toad in front of the equally giant cat. Nekomata's eyes widened.

"G-Gamamaru?" The feline bit out in surprise.

"Nekomata." The toad in his mddle ages blew a pipe, much to the cat's dismay. "Your looking well." He nodded and continued his smoking.

The cat looked uncertain. It probably knew it was a genjutsu but the beauty of the Mangyekō Illusuion is not actually concealing it was a genjutsu but making them forget it was a genjutsu all together with tantalizing thoughts, much like the Infinite Tsukiyomi but on a lower (and definitely harder to use) scale. The monster cat nodded.

"You too, Gamamaru."

"So, got any apprentices lately?" The old and wise toad rasped out while the monster cat shifted guiltily. "You did say you were going to...what was that?" The giant red toad scratched his head absentmindedly. "'Show you that the power of the cats are stronger than the sage mode?'" He toad quoted a little bit cheekily.

I couldn't help but appreciate how quiet the two boys are. They must have been well versed in the ways of treating a person channeling a genjutsu. Showing them was probably the right choice. Most of the newbie teams I get rostered into resulted in a smack head with a 'what the hell are you doing?'. Dicks. I spent 1 damn year in the academy and I knew that you don't interrupt someone whole their casting.

"So, who's this mighty champion?" The toad grumbled a low laugh as the cat began to fluster.

"Don't rush me! I just haven't found anyone worthy of teaching yet!" The now red faced (how was that even possible?) cat exclaimed, embarrassed at it's ineptitude to convince someone to become an apprentice to them. Something in Soma's eyes shone and he eyed me thoughtfully before watching the scene unfold. I paid him no mind and focused on the genjutsu.

"Oh really? That lady you took in seemed nice."

"She's a civilian! I need a ninja!"

"Thank you, Tokina but that will be all."

I blinked as Soma lowered my hand with his, my distraction causing me to break the genjutsu. Taizo steadied my wavering posture because DAMN does that genjutsu take a lot out of me. I smiled at him in which he returned with a silent boy. Nekomata widened it's eyes before baring it's fangs again, not liking the fact that the mighty leader of the Ninneko lost a battle of genjutsu. Before it could weave hand seals again, Soma walked in front of it with no visible weapon.

"Is an apprentice what you seek?" The Uchiha asked suddenly. What was he planning? Was he going to offer someone as sacrifice? I don't think we have enough time to go arrange the paperwork or someone moving here. The cat hissed at the man who oh-so confidently (yes, daddy) stood there unfazed. "I-I don't need help from lowly fleabags like you!" The cat said, obvious flustered, crossed it's arms and looked away.

You know, like a tsundere.

A demon tsundere with whiskers.

A demon tsundere with whiskers, fur, genjutsu and a damned attitude.

"Konoha has many able shinobi. They could all use someone strong like you to help them grow." The proud cat huffed and gave us a scathing look.

Before giving a cheshire grin.

"Fine then." I tensed as his giant claw pointed at the Yamanaka beside me. Poor sap. He was scared of cats too. He tensed and looked absolutely crest fallen. "N-now wait just a minute." Taizo stuttered. Soma have him a once over and gave him a pitying look.

"Give me that kid. You're a Yamanaka? I can see it in your eyes. You'll do nicely." The now sadistic cat smiled, sitting down on its hind legs. Soma gave him an apologetic sideways glance. Taizo, the poor sap, sniffled at me. I shrugged giving him a 'I don't know what the fuck to do man. Don't look at me.'

"He is, Nekomata-san. A Yamanaka."

"Oh my god, who is this ugly shit standing in front of me? Oh right. His name was Uchiha Soma." I froze at the venom of his grumbling. Woah, suddenly I liked this Taizo more and more. I snickered beside him. He smiled at the appreciation.

And then he returned to 'Fuck cats' mode.

"This isn't in mission parameters!" He piped up. This also wasn't fair but that sounded childish for a five year old kunoichi so I left that out. Taizo's, a boy I have bonded with over the past eight hours or so, hand brushed mine as I mouthed the words 'I'm so sorry.'

Oh gurl. Gud luck.

"But if I have to stay here, Tokina-san has to as well!"

Wait. What?

* * *

AN.

I know there is more page breaks out there uuuuuuuugh. This chapter is special to me because this _arc_ rather is where shit goes down and I _love it_. Anyway, Enjoy life :)

NEW AN.

I was literally just thinking " _I knew there's going to be something wrong with the new chapter, I shouldn't have posted it yet. It's probably the age"_ so when I opened the note in my _Notes(iPhone 4 is where I write)_ to check I was correct. Isn't life nice?

Also, I haven't forgotten about the contract (did she sign it already or did she not? huehue) about the bunnies. If this chapter is Naruto then the bunnies are literally _Shipudden_. The art of foreshadowing is...fun. All I ask for yall is to be patient and ride this crazy ass ride with me. Anyway, Enjoy life :)^2


	12. Chapter 12: Thawing Ice 2

AN.

HECTIC WEEK, I AM SO SORRY FOR THE LATE UPDATE!

So many requirements, so little time.

* * *

I glared at the giant white cat, a forehead protector actually on my forehead (it was forced unto me, since y'all know how much I hate forehead protectors and labels in general) with the kanji 'Truth' engraved on it. It would have been fine if it wasn't for the fact that the giant cat gave me this black coat with fur in the trims of it's hoodie, reminiscent to Kiba's all the while making me looking like a pretentious prick. I looked like a pinup doll with how I did my hair. It was safe to say that I wanted to see Sora-ku burn. Since Soma, the bitch he is was going to personally deliver my clothes and shit and he wasn't here in the first damn day, I had to wear it to avoid stinking up the place.

"I'm not even supposed to be here." I muttered next to Taizo who was training with another cat. I didn't even do anything! I just stood there and gave him company, forced to do manual fucking labor!

 _For goddamn cats_ may I remind you. Slowly but surely, my love for all things four-legged was dripping down the drain, now being reserved for dogs and other animals besides cats. The memes were not lying, they were assholes. I wanted out in the first thirty seconds.

The apartment they gave me was beyond stanky. Like, so stinky I had to invent a word that could fulfill the needs of delivering just how stinky it was.

" _Stanky, adjective, used to describe an incredible scent that displeases all the five senses in one go._

 _Example: God, this apartment is so stanky it makes me want to kill myself."_

I literally spent the rest of my day with Taizo, the bitch he is, making the shit-hole that was my apartment for God know's how long to at least make it deem-amble for human use when he got a luxurious suite because he was the Nekomata's apprentice and shit. He didn't even have the _shame_ to look sheepish. It's not my fault how much of a pussy my Yamanaka teammate was. You're a ninja of Konohagakure, dammit. Your expected to catch cats for a living. What the hell were you doing in your genin days, kiddo?

I knew where I'm spending mine, thanks to you.

Cat hair everwhere. Cat shit in the corners. Boxes and trash bags covered the bed. When I saw this I couldn't help but let out a dry sob, all the while trying to convince myself that my actions _WILL_ help with the war efforts. I mean, look at all these supplies these four legged demons have hoarded around. I could have sworn some of the boxes had what looked like gun powder and really weird looking kunai. The Uchiha were some fucked up individuals, if I do say so myself. Look at all this weaponry (not included the ultimate weapon that is known as _cat shit_ )! Konoha might actually turn the tides earlier than usual and prevent fucking Tobi from ever existing if they win the war.

You can tell I was desperate for more happy thoughts.

You know, like Soma's head in a silver platter.

That was a good thought in itself

The fur brushing the back my neck because of the forced upon furry hoodie the cats gave me elicited an irritable tickle. I debated internally whether to let my hair down but decided against it because having your hair pulled by a maniacal enemy soldier could traumatize you, settling for my two short strands that escaped my bun because I refused to cut my hair even though it could literally kill me.

"What?" It raised an eyebrow; its claws scratching the really durable tatami mats, making me cringe at the irritating sound. _This inconsiderate son of a dick_. I covered my ear with a patient, tight lipped smile despite my actual thoughts of using its fur to dress our own floor back at the house. It licked its dirty fur into submission while the blue and eerie flames burned silently.

"Uh, can I go, Nekomata-san? Taizo is the one you wanted. He's your apprentice." I reminded the old cat _again._ If he could remember a middle aged Gamamaru, a toad that helped the dang Sage of Six Paths. I wouldn't blame him if he was forgetful because that age was literally an _eternity_ ago.

Except for the fact that it involves me,

So that obviously changes everything,

"No can do, kitten." It looked thoughtful before shrugging. "Well, maybe there is." It waved of its huge paw before producing these tiny ass silver bells too big for his giant paws. He waved it once, the ringing being louder than what a normal bell should be. The giant cat demon seemed to be pleased at my _"woah, that's kind of cool_ expression.

You know what else would be cool?

If you let me go back to Konoha! You would be so cool!

"Summoning bells, it is one of the many inventions of the Ninneko." The giant cat said a little bit too smugly. I mean, sure it was cool but it wasn't _Eight Triagrams: 64 palms_ cool. It was probably just a loud bell heightened by chakra and maybe even slight minor genjutsu. I could tell, I was an aspiring genjutsu mistress, after all. After two seconds of silence, a white cat with black tiger markings and really squinted eyes wearing a mesh undershirt and a red kimono shirt appeared with a poof of smoke.

It would have looked normal if it wasn't for the fact that it had the kanji of 'truth' on its forehead. "Nekomata-sama, nya?" The white cat's sagely voice called out to the bigger feline.

"Eiji, go take care of this human, I'm too busy to do it. I want her busy for a month or until my apprentice is ready for action." The giant cat smirked down at Taizo who let out a cold sweat as he smiled at his _Sensei_ nervously.

I almost felt symphatetic.

Almost is the keyword.

Almost because he smirked cheekily before doing his katas for the cat taijutsu they were teaching him.

Oh no, this bitch literally KIDNAPPED me and now has the audacity to smirk?! Busy for one fucking month?! It would have been funny if it weren't for the fact that, hello, this is a warehouse filled with cat fur and shit. Oh, there better be an anti-cat fur jutsu or I will literally protest about my human rights.

The new cat gave me an assessing look before nodding to himself. "I think I know where I can put you, nya."

There was no bigass scroll to be given to me, a wise cat to give me some form of Sage Cat mode, no; that shit was probably reserved to Taizo and his poop-colored haired. It was me feeding cats in a fish shop, roaming around the damned Uchiha Warehouse for two hours, manual labor that amounted to nothing. Why the hell do they hoard so much shit?! How are they going to use that shit?! Christ almighty, they have enough weapons to start their own Hidden Village! The Village Hidden in Cat Hair sounded adequate because holy shit, if I didn't have a face mask this place would have given me the worst case of tuberculosis. This place was no heaven, if you were expecting that since it was just cats and their irritating faces. It was cat shit, cat hair and the _smell_ could kill me if it wanted to. And don't get me started with the summoning bells.

 _Jingle Jingle._

I clenched box of whatever it was was inside the damn thing, my nails digging into the wood as I gave a tight lipped smile to no one in particular as I felt a tug towards whoever rang that atrocious ninja tool while my translator ears fidgeted, making me even more irritable. I felt my eye twitch when my first day was done, only filled with manual labor, running around and doing absolutely nothing for my ninja skills except for the occasional 'locate this chakra signature' game with my Byakugan in the dark, stinky ass warehouse.

Good times.

Anyway, back to eye twitching. Ah yes, Soma. He gave me a pat in the head, two bags and a scroll.

B-Rank.

In Sora-ku, please Nekomata to at least hear out the negotiation team in Konoha. Duration: 1 Month

Hyūga Tokina- Genin (6)

Yamanaka Taizo- Chunin (11)

I stared dumbfounded at the piece of paper on my hands before throwing it at the Yamanaka who was at proximity. They're fucking paying me to stay. How desperate are they to win the damn war?! I lay down on my sorry excuse for my bed and groaned loudly. D-Rank shit, no books, manual labor and cats that are becoming less and less cute by the minute.

Why though?

* * *

First week? Nothing happened. Like, absolutely nothing. Eiji made me deliver all kinds of shit in the middle of the night with nothing but yet another ninja tool which looked suspiciously like goggles with kanji that had "sight" in it. "Just channel your chakra on it and it'll slowly inject chakra to adjust your dōjutsu for places with little to no light, nya. It'll help with deliveries when the fish oil lamps are extinguished every 11pm." He explained with that cat like smirk that made me want to punch him in the face even though he was giving me a tool that would help with my otherwise boring dōjutsu.

Well, that was kind of impressive.

You know what was also impressive?

My bitching.

I made Taizo my personal Jyūken dummy when I was angry and not wanting to sharpen my already too-sharp-for-a-genin chakra control. I wasn't any good with Jyūken as Neji but I knew my way around it. Besides, not hitting the tenketsu point results in a world of pain anyway; so it was a _really_ good stress reliever despite it being violent. He was kind of guilty, he apologized one day but I wasn't hearing it. I could be eating with Rin or Obito or both without the smell of shit and fur.

Christ, if I saw another cat when I'm back in Konoha, it would be _too_ soon.

"I said I was sorry!" He said through the barrage of jabs. My fingers hurt but I was trying to learn. Besides, I could barely do a successful 16 palms, much less a 32 since a certain Sannin blocked what my sad attempt to close his tenketsu points that would render his chakra systems useless. He was a convenient set of chakra systems I could use that wasn't miniature or irritating to look at. He was irritating to look at but nothing could beat a cat grin. It was so… _puntable_.

So that was nice, as well as night vision training for my Byakugan. Just channel your chakra and take the strange things all in. It was all in all, pretty easy.

Except for the fact that I cannot see anything with these two big ass chakra signatures in front of my fucking field of vision which was a downside to the whole _you won't need lights anymore_ idea. That was the same week where I started appreciating the cats and all their really smart ninja tools. Night vision goggles (DIY by the way) Summoning Bells and an Auto Translator headset. The scientists in my former country-slash-world would kill for that kind of technology! But how do they even make these kinds of shit? They don't even have thumbs! This is beyond unfair.

You know what else is unfair?

Me staying here,

But by all means, don't let me stop you from whatever your doing.

With only D-Rank missions and "dōjutsu training", beating Taizo up, food was becoming scarcer in the fridge Soma installed for me (still want to have his head in Nekomata's gross mouth, though.). I told this to Eiji who shrugged and walked away uncaringly. The internet was right. Cats were beyond heartless. I dumped another wooden box that my Byakugan told me was filled with weapons into the pile of other boxes, my nose picking a scent through the others which was mostly fish, cat hair and metals.

Chicken,

Not just any chicken.

Grilled chicken,

I concealed my grumbling stomach and broke out in a sprint, running through the other cats with ease because if you weren't adjusted to their size, they would scratch your leg to hell and back. I eyed the cat standing on its hind legs which I couldn't help but remember a certain monster hunting RPG with those very features in, openly grilling dark brown chicken, holding a spatula and a chef's hat on its head (with the kanji of truth in the front, no suprised there). I reached for my wallet and pursed my lips.

That was way too light.

My stomach grumbled in desperate need and want.

"Yeah, yeah, calm down..." I eyed the chicken with desire; the cat seemed to not notice the girl who was staring down the dead bird like it was a matter of life and death. For the first time in forever, I manually summoned a part of Akinosuke who usually accompanied me everywhere. _"I don't like the atmosphere"_ he reasoned the day I summoned him when I was feeling lonely and wanting to strengthen my control and focus over my genjutsu. The butterflies fluttered sadly when it saw the gray concrete and the ghetto looking atmosphere.

"Tokina-san?" A butterfly fluttered next to me.

"Can you _subtly_ put that cat in genjutsu? Make sure it doesn't notice me?" I asked of my summon. With no further questions asked, the butterfly fluttered on top of the cat's head in the part that wasn't covered in the chief's hat. I got out a bandage from my kit, did a Camouflage jutsu and wrapped three pieces of the delicious meet when the cat's eyes diluted when Akinosuke landed.

"Yes!" I cheered silently through the rooftop as I ran to my apartment.

So yeah, that was the story of I, a member of a noble clan of Konoha, was reduced to a thief doing manual labor in one week. Not my proudest weak but _damn_ did that cat know how to make chicken. The Hyūga Clan is the strongest clan in the lead village? Pfff, Byakugan can't even see in the damn dark. Thank God for this ninja tool, giving me night vision. I would not appreciate tears and scratches in my Kimono pants in the inevitable time I would step on a cat tail. So that was my first week. Manual labor (and some interaction with Nekobaa but whatever) and getting the gist of things in Sora-ku. Oh and me getting desensitized by the cuteness of cats being replaced by a strong resentment and wanting to skin them alive with a dirty kunai.

Now if it were Ninja Pomeranians however...

The world would be too good for them.

Anyway, my second week (or towards the end of it anyway) Taizo finally gave me something worthwhile to do while I waited.

Cat taijutsu.

That required claws.

The problem?

I don't have claws.

What did I do?

Tape fucking senbon and making a make shift senbon glove.

Taizo looked mildly impressed wearing his nails like weapons though. You don't see a ninja with senbons taped to their fingers every day. Of course it wouldn't be permanent; I had to make a workaround because long nails gross me out. I'll keep them sharp of course, but of it looks too long that makes it borderline disgusting then off to the mail cutter with you. The Hyūga specialized in expelling chakra out of every tenketsu point in the body and making mini chakra scalpels to pierce and expel chakra out of said tenketsu points. Gentle Fist was also really fast based taijutsu as well as the Fierce Claws style, involving dodging, slashing and so much acrobatics that could make an Olympic Level Acrobat cry.

It made me want to cry but I don't think anyone wants to know why.

Let's just summarize the moment by stating that Cats are really flexible. Like so flexible you think their fucking liquid. I, a 6 year old girl, am not flexible. I was normally a lazy bum and still kind of am. So what did Taizo make me do? Intense Yoga.

Really intense,

At least I had something to do other than the normal boring shit, right?

Even though I predict that I am never going to find a situation where in I will need to tape senbons on my fingertips or doing any Cat taijutsu moves that is better than Hyūga's really painful Jyūken.

Anyway, back to the Fierce Claws style. So me, in the span of another week, focused on the yoga and not the Fierce Claws.

Of course I didn't master the Fierce Claws style in a span of one month like all the other things given to me like Jyūken, Mangyekō Illusions and Medical-Ninjutsu but by combining two things it could lessen the stress of learning both anyway. Hell, I know I wouldn't get very far with the Jyūken because I was a Branch Member. If it wasn't for my knowledge of how some jutsus work (Deadly 64 and Roatation) I wouldn't even know they existed. The only Jyūken techniques I knew which were taught to me by legitimate means and not stalking and foreknowledge were Vacuum Palm and Palm Bottom, both requiring speed a five year old could barely have.

That is when my quest for my own fighting style began since I sucked at my current one. Because genjutsu CANNOT kill and it was shitty self defense despite my love for it.

While thinking about it, I walked out from Sora-ku and stretched. Being confined didn't fare good for me. I wasn't claustrophobic but freedom was a big thing for me. I stared at the sky with a longing gaze, waiting for a stroke of inspiration.

I didn't get a stroke of inspiration.

Instead I got an ANBU by my side.

I activated my Byakugan reflexively and readied my Jyūken stance.

"Who are you?" I bit out at the stared Bird Masked ANBU. He cocked his head.

"Danzō-sama wishes for you." His cold and emotionless voice ordered and not informed.

Oh hell no.

"I'm currently in a mission." I reasoned and slowly inched away backward.

"I don't care, brat. What Danzō-sama wants Danzō-sama gets."

With speed I could not counter but foresaw when he channeled a lot of chakra in his arms and hands, he grabbed my arm. I flailed around, trying for an impromptu genjutsu when I noticed a familiar set of Chakra.

"TAIZO! DO SOMETHING!"

"Wha-" he said before letting go. He unmasked himself, revealing a burly man with a surprised expression. I blinked and backed away immediately despite him unmasking himself. I blinked and stopped myself from face-palming. Sometimes, which wasn't my fault since Taizo was such an obnoxious and spiteful brat, I forget he was part of one of the prosperous clans of Konoha known for their Mind Body Transfer jutsu. He began throwing his massive amount of weapons away as I inched further away from him and stopped when I reached his unconscious body. He gave me a glance.

"This man has too many weapons." Taizo-Bird complained as he threw the last dull looking tantō.

I blinked up at him. "Thanks..." He dipped his head with a smile that looked wrong at the ROOT member.

"What does ANBU of all things want with you?"

Oh, it seems he didn't hear the whole Danzō bit.

"I don't know. Hold on, let me just ready a genjutsu to throw on this guy."

After a quick summon from Akinosuke who encased Taizo-Bird easily. Taizo went back to his original body as Akinosuke encased the ROOT agent quickly. Why would ROOT want me? I wasn't anything special. Okay, so I was a Hyūga with butterfly summons who graduated early and had the legendary Orochimaru, one of the Sannin to teach me his ways...

Oh shit.

Fuck.

Me.

Okay, calm down, Tokina. First things first, take care of current situation. "Akinouke-san, get information from him then after that..."

Taizo walked near me and gave the ANBU (as far as he knew) a weird look which he gave me.

"Do whatever you want with him."

"Very well," The butterfly king said through the mouthpiece that was another monarch butterfly.

We walked back to Sora-ku in relative and tense silence, an unanswered obviously hanging in the air.

"Is there something you aren't telling me?" Taizo raised an eyebrow. I sighed at the boy that got me into this situation and got me out. I shrugged.

"Honestly? I don't know."

The following days were a blur of tenseness and paranoia. But that was kind of a wakeup call; a wakeup call that kept me up all night because a _legal_ organization is trying to get a hold of me. I couldn't just go up to the Uchiha Police and hope for the best this time. This involved politics that was way over my knowledge as an undergrad of PoliSci. I needed to get stronger. If fucking _DANZŌ_ was coming for my ass for some fucking reason then goddammit I need to protect myself. I didn't worry about the probably dead ROOT member, which was kind of a good sign for me in the worst way. ROOT members wouldn't be remembered which was sad hut a plus from me. I only had about two weeks left.

Two weeks to prepare for the ROOT infestation.

So I did what I had to do.

* * *

"Hey, Taizo, can we practice something else other than taijutsu." I asked the Yamanaka standing before me, his 'truth' forehead protector tilting to the side. He scowled before putting it back in its place.

After the whole saving my ass bit I started mellowing out my grudge. I mean, who wouldn't when they saved you from imminent death from ROOT and possibly Danzō and stopped a future that involved me being abused as they slowly turned me into a robot.

Emotionless enough that would prevent me from killing myself.

That, in turn, was another whole can of worms I am not willing to open with a 5 inch can opener.

"I thought you didn't know ninjutsu other than summoning jutsu." He raised an eyebrow since that was literally the only ninjutsu I knew aside from Camoflauge (if that counted as ninjutsu) and the academy 3.

I was still inept with elemental transformations so I had to make do with what I have.

Even if it means accepting death because someone else's really bad reputation. Someone who would probably do something much crueler than erase my emotions and make me do things an ANBU member wouldn't even dream of.

"I want to practice...that. Summoning jutsu."

He raised his other eyebrow.

I sighed and bit my thumb and did the hand seals, slamming my hand on the ground as black ink watered over the concrete. I did this before with Akinosuke so I knew a thing or two about summoning jutsu. He gaped at the summon that appeared.

A small, sharp scaled two headed Khaki (yes, yes, the humor of God-sama is unparalleled) rattle snake appeared from the ink.

It hissed, the two heads gazing both of us with equal malice.

"What do you want?" It hissed.

"No way," Taizo gaped.

Well, I had to defend myself. Genjutsu can only do so much and what happens when my arms get restricted. I am too far sick of getting into hold-up situation.

Besides, Snake-shishou would probably want me to do this anyway. Whatever, anything was better than fucking Danzō. Maybe I could manipulate Orochimaru to NOT deal with him and make killing the War Hawk all the more easier.

* * *

"Poison Mist!" Akane called out to her husband before she inhaled and exhaled massive amounts of purple gas while Tomokazu lifted his face mask that had a seal that would filter the gas, a sign that the Medic-nin was getting desperate. Tomokazu nodded an affirmation and began distracting the Iwa-nin who found them out. A whole squadron! Just for the two Hyūgas! He felt really special.

"It's the end of you, Konoha Scum!"

If it wasn't so life threatening, he would have been flattered. With his Byakugan that could see 80 Kilometers with ease, track individual opponents by their chakra color, he threw many ninja inside the dome of purple numbing gas that was as big as their house back in Konoha, all the mirrors reflecting a black haired fair maiden with a sullen look embedded in her porcelain face with one eye in her left bulging with veins, a perfect white accompanied by a lavender.

She was getting really desperate if she was willing to step into the frontlines and break all the rules that the Medic-Sannin formed which the Hyūga female honored and respected throughout her career as a field medic. Tomokazu readied the large scroll behind his back and unsealed the fūma shuriken while the nin where distracted like idiots. He could hear one muttering a _"What the hell?"_

It wasn't his fault that those were that no-face's last words when he tore him down. The Iwa nin screeched in pain as he impaled the poor man with one of the blades of his oversized shuriken, causing the rest to snap back to attention. Akane's reflections tensed with her poison tipped senbon.

She maneuvered inside the ball of gas she made and contained with Wind Release, expelling chakra from every single tenketsu point to boost her speed and protect her from her own numbing poison as she stabbed, cut and beheaded random speed that was a step down from the Yellow Flash, one of the good things to come out of her being a Branch Family. She could care less about the whole _you are born and destined to be servant's_ logic that the Main Family imposed on them. The field medic always thought that any Hyūga that was worth their salt shouldn't listen to a word to what the Main Branch's arrogant musings. It was so…demeaning.

The Cold Hearted, One-Eyes Beauty and Tomokazu of the Byakugan. The guy smirked at one of the reflections of his wife. Ah, how much he didn't miss the adrenaline flowing in his body but whatever keeps him alive. With his famous Byakugan that was renown throughout all the nations, he jumped and caught his Fūma Shuriken (boomerang of death by his daughter) effectively dodging the sad sods that thought he left his guard down.

He could tell with his dōjutsu which was famous even throughout the Main Family for being the clearest eyes that his wife was finally showing her true speed, jumping in and out of the giant purple gas cloud that she maintained through means he did not know, throwing senbons in and out, with chakra scalpels that, if combined with Jyūken, would be a sure kill if they let her close. The boys under him immediately got the taste of Akane's special chakra poison when the poison seeped near him. Stepping over their bodies, Toumukazu threw his fūma shuriken again, injuring everything that got caught in its enhanced wind chakra infused blades. He drew the two tantōs on his belt and immediately went to work.

The Main House was so close-minded thinking that Jyūken was the epitome of the Byakugan's power. It _is_ powerful but calling it the best thing that came out of their eyes was the most stupid thing he ever heard. The fact that Akane used it for precision aim and Toumukazu abusing it's near 360 degree visions for Shurikenjutsu and Kenjutsu multi-tasking shows that the Byakugan was a tool for the creative and open-minded.

Which was everything the Main House isn't.

Connecting his tantō's hilts with chakra strings, he threw them on two more Iwa-nins, stabbing them. He caught his Fūma Shuriken and threw it again immediately, slicing two or three Iwa-nins in the process when it made its rotation. With a flick of a wrist, he got back his tantōs and sliced the other Iwa-nin who seemed to be slowing down by the second.

Unknown to Tomokazu, his wife was working on overdrive, piercing, throwng and slashing every single Iwa-nin who thinks they can cast any jutsu on her watch. Ducking from Tomo's Fūma Shuriken, the field medic that recently went against all her teachings as an honored medic stabbed a man who was weaving seals in his spine (with the help of her one Byakugan, of course), leaving the man spluttering as she left the senbon and poison to do all the work for her as she returned to another inside the gas cloud she formed and maintained, repeating the process in break neck speed. The amount of discrimination and teasing she got from the other clan members for her having just one Byakugan couldn't help but make her irritated till this day. She strived to make herself a better woman, unlike her mother who looked down on her like she was a pig because of her one eye even though the bitch didn't even have a Byakugan eye to begin with! She worked tirelessly to perfect her chakra control, using the one eye her clan members loved to tease to pin point what was wrong with her patients (or enemies if the time called for it). She used her knowledge of medical-ninjutsu and combined it with her Byakugan and her knowledge of chakra to invent and worsen her poisons.

So her life was pretty good despite being a child of her single parent dad since she couldn't exactly call that sorry excuse of a woman her mother despite knowing her situation. It wasn't her fault that her Byakugan-less mother chose to dishonor herself and flee the village in hopes that some rumored rich man will take her in as his mistress.

That was when she made a reputation for herself as the Cold Hearted, One-Eyed Beauty. It was a flurry of people dying as patients and enemies alike. It was so bad that she was becoming indifferent in it all, being a survivor of the Second and participating in the Third Great Shinobi War. She needed to visit a Yamanaka really bad but thanks to her hectic work load; she didn't have the chance to unload all her problems on a professional. She wasn't as selfish as to say everything to her dad, the man who worked hard to mold her into the fine medic-ninja that she is today. She kept everything inside a tight knit ball.

That was until Tomokazu came into her life with that smug grin of his and that Fūma shuriken he always carried behind his back, thinking it was a fashion statement and a challenge to Uchiha's who were naturally gifted in the art of Shurikenjutsu.

That was also when her lovely Tokina came into her life.

Her life's light is going to get brighter and brighter after this mission, a baby Tokuma coming soon into this world.

She canceled her jutsu when approximately 27 nin lie in pools of blood and metal. "Shit." Tomokazu muttered appropriately cursed as they looked into the horizon as thirty more nin ran through the valley towards them. He held Akane's hand who was borderline chakra exhausted. She didn't want to use a soldier pill as it might affect their child she was currently carrying.

"This is entirely your fault." She muttered to her husband, clutching the pill..

"How is it my fault?!" He screeched, undignified.

"I told you to use the birth control since I was out of pills." She huffed.

"Oh, I thought about the whole situation." He sighed, relief in his face. "It was kind of worth it, huh?" He waggled his eyebrows, eliciting a snort despite thirty or more ninjas coming to them.

A snake slithered between them and with a puff of smoke, a famed pale man in a Konoha green chunin vest appeared.

"Sannin-san? How-"

"Never mind that," His voice rasped. "With the path your taking, I suggest going to Kiri. We have tense but otherwise peaceful affiliations with them. Any other civilian village nearby may attract unwanted attention"

"But Sannin-san-"

"Don't you want to see your daughter again?" He turned to them, the wave of ninjas visible now. They both tensed.

How did he...?

"She's my apprentice, and I must say, she does not disappoint. If you want to see how strong she is, you'd best follow my advice and lick your wounds in Kiri, Hyūga." Akane pulled a reluctant Tomokazu away from the fray despite the man wanting to question the great Sannin how they met and how she was doing. They're both going to go back to their child. They both have plans for her and they're going to survive this.

Akane will make sure of it.

* * *

AN.

To make up for it, I combined what was originally 2 chapters so have that. A lot happened in this chapter, huh? I really don't know what to end here so enjoy life. :)

(I'M STILL RUNNING OUT OF WITTY TITLES)


	13. Chapter 13: Thawing Ice 3

AN.

Wow, I did not realize how many words this arc would take. NOTES in the iPhone really doesn't tell you that type of things.

 **WARNING: A LOT OF LANGUAGE!** (because I shamelessly based on of the new characters I'm introducing off of Hidan. Sue me)

* * *

Tadahisa and Tasashi, the twin headed rattle snake.

Tadashi, the left head was feisty while Tadahisa literally gave no fucks was on the right. Sadly, Tadashi was in charge of the rattle, which Tadashi abused much to my annoyance. It was love in first sight for me because; wow they looked fearsome and majestic despite them being as big as my foot.

"What the fuck." Was the eloquent response to the situation when I first summoned them,

Tadashi was also a fucking potty mouth .

Of fucking course, people who can't watch their language fucking sickens me.

At least I keep my potty mouth under wraps

"Uh...hi." I began. Snakes were prideful creatures but I wasn't going to bow down to a fucking shoe lace. What image would that make to my original summon. Akinsouke fluttered around me. Tadahisa was seizing up the room silently whole Tadashi rattled and hissed, preparing to strike.

"We are Tadahisa and Tadashi." The feminine one introduced that day coolly, not sparing a gaze. "Please don't question why we share a body. Tadashi is sensitive about that."

"WHAT THE FUCK HISA?!"

Okay, she seems diplomatic. That was something. I don't know about left one, though.

"And you! What the fuck up is with that 'Hi?!' "The snake-feeling-dragon shoelace hissed out indignantly."What the hell, girl?! I was about to eat that juicy ass rat before you rudely fucking summoned me!" The shoelace with the loudest ass voice ripped through my apartment.

Okay, operation befriend my own kind shall commence.

Get it?

Because I'm a snake?

"Yeah, about that-"

"And what the hell?! Are you a crazed cat lady or something?! Room literally smells like fucking shit!"

"Uh, Sora-ku-"

"And why are you flat _and_ fat?!"

I can deal with this. I dealt with Obito and children all the time. I have the patience for this.

"And what the hell is that haori?! It looks like it's been shitted!"

My eye twitched as I felt veins bulge around my eyes. It seems Operation become even more patient with loud dicks is a failure.

Operation establish dominance, however…

"Listen here, you shoe-lace, overgrown bald _noodle_!" I snarled to the snake. Tadashi recoiled in surprise while Tasahisa gave me a metaphoric raised eyebrow. "I didn't sign a contract that would associate me to a pedophile, gay; Sharingan obsessing that has a rope fetish snake-dick that has no life despite being immortal to deal with a childish excuse for a limp _spring_!"

They both remained silent, Tadashi's eyes narrowing at every insult and jab. "Now pay attention because I am not going to repeat myself. This hear, you colorblind, insensitive, sorry excuse for ramen broth. This here? It's Khaki! KHA-Ki. I haven't endured running around the whole dam village, be resurrected in this worthless world to argue about my fashion sense with a spring I could literally _STEP ON!"_

"...wow." Tadashi blinked. He narrowed his eyes. "You're fucking insane."

I seethed.

"That was fucking hot."

I blinked, anger being replaced with shock and disgust.

This aglet is hitting on me?

"What."

"So, waddaya say, Hisa. Personal summon?"

The female head shrugged. "Eh."

They both smirked. "Welp, crazy bitch. You got yourself in this mess. I didn't understand half of your rant, that's Hisa's job but hey, I like your spunk." He rattled twice. "Go call us when there's going to be blood or something."

With a poof, they were gone, leaving me sweaty and confused.

I stood up and left my apartment.

I need air, water and sanity.

* * *

Two months.

Not one.

But Two,

Two months of snake taijutsu, the chakra inside the goggles injecting, working in the dark, manual labor and fucking YOGA and this bitch (?) has the audacity to say. "Eh, I think you need another month since Taizo needs one (cue apologetic shrug from the eleven year old). You know what to do, Eiji. "He said after my first term, rolling a giant scroll as if to tease me. I wrote the report to the Hokage, expecting him to fight for my rights only for this other bitch to send me a scroll, saying the same damn thing except for a boost in a rank and another zero.

Like, yes, give me the money but _please_ I'm pretty sure there are other jobs I can do! What the hell are they keeping me from? ROOT?! Well to bad, Hiruzen, they already gave me a personalized message that they do not fuck around. I'm sure we can win a war without me carrying cardboard boxes like every single day of the week.

"Ah, so you're staying, Tokinya-chan?" Ebisu greeted me, taking my load with his deceptively diminutive stature. I swear if I don't get abs out of this I'll throw the biggest hissy fit Sora-ku has ever seen. He adjusted his chef's hat with his tail and gave me a squinty eyed smile which i returned after wiping sweat off my forehead. I adjusted the 'Truth' forehead protector lying on my neck to get more air in.

"Nekomata-san wants me to stay for another month. He says I have to stay." I told the cat who I've been stealing chicken from and sitting down in one of his restaurant's seats. When I finally got caught, he was just impressed of my skills. Most ninjas use big, loud and obnoxious ninjutsus to win a battle, forgetting that stealth and quickness was just as important as blowing shit up. I agreed whole heartedly. He began actually feeding me food (which was not actually fishie-bits. So I was racist at first? Who isn't really on their first time meeting another race or the first time and thinking _"Wow they look weird,"?_

He gave me a seafood platter, green tea and chopsticks. He sat down in front of me with his own, giving the spatula to another disheveled cat standing on his limbs muttering something along the lines of _I'm taking a break_. "You know, for a human, you're not so bad, Tokinya-chan." He informed as I chewed my fish. I swallowed my food. "Where did you get that idea from, Ebisu-san?"

"You're not loud, obnoxious or a show-off. You'd make a fine Ninneko if you were a cat despite not smelling one." I took his praise with a grain of salt because I still do not like the majority of the cats here. It would be rude to deny it so I muttered "thanks, Ebisu-san". Honestly, if he ever saw my legit personality, he wouldn't even think twice of insulting all my ancestors to the 9th degree.

But I didn't tell him that. That would be rude and awkward and would ban me from the only stall that doesn't sell fish or cat food.

"Why don't you stay?" He asked pleasantly as he chewed his shrimp.

I was about to laugh it off before I thought about it. Why don't I stay? I mean, there's no war amongst the cats. My parents might be dead for all I know. Hyūga is such a shit clan. My relationship with Rin and Obito isn't the same when I graduated early as before despite our efforts into keeping our bonds. Honestly, little manual labor isn't something to kill myself over. The fact that I need to kill OTHER people for a living makes me want to kill myself though.

"You know what, Ebisu-san, maybe I should." When you really thought about it, Konoha really won't offer anything to me that I really want which is a good life, ROOT already proving that. I already have a somewhat nice one here in Sora-ku. I have a friend to give me food, I have something to do to not keep me bored and the black market here has an interesting array of books. I made my apartment all spiffy as the hot water supply here is adequate enough. The cats here offer great diversity with a wide array of topics and Sora-ku is generally big place.

"Oh wait." I remembered one important detail. Ebisu perked up.

"What is it?"

"If I stay here permanently, Konoha will no doubt file me for treason, haul me back and either execute or imprison me." I realized dejectedly out loud. And with the war going on, painful execution is highly likely because I was officially listed as a resource and not a ninja-to-be. The painful execution was the turn off for me. Oh, and ROOT. Don't forget about ROOT.

"Ah, right. Your village is really bad, Tokinya-chan." He assessed Konoha which was perpetually covered in blood and tragedy since a certain blonde wasn't born yet. The same blood and tragedy I've seen through games, anime and paper and quickly decided that I do not want to be a part of that. Call me an asshole for self-preservation and I'll take it like you called me Miss Universe.

I sighed in agreement. "Any advice for me Ebisu-san? The Hokage really wants me back now. They're probably low on people who could fix houses or something."

He shook his head in disapproval. "Making kittens do a cat's job; how despicable."

Indeed.

"Just work on what you're doing right now. Eiji-san and I are close friends. He's been telling all about your training, so let me tell something about snakes..."

I continued eating, listening to the retired Ninnken for his advice in the manipulation of Snakes and my body. Of course, with all this snake taijutsu training and Byakugan mutating, you'd think I'd lose my roots. But no, I've been trying to get better with my chakra control and genjutsu when I'm bored as well as trying for 16 palms which I am _not_ succeeding at.

Mostly genjutsu, though. I have a FAR way to master Mangeykō Illusion: World of Butterflies but that doesn't mean I couldn't learn other genjutsu. I mean, I can make anything out of everything with illusion and butterflies. So being an anime and music fan with a _healthy_ obsession with a certain group of Magical Girls, I couldn't help base a genjutsu out of one of their labyrinths.

My apartment melted away to a dark room with velvet carpeting as per memory. Okay, the orchestra can be there, there Witch can be over there, oh and music. There needs to be music. Music is literally the highlight of this genjutsu. It's what made me fall in love with this one instead of my close favorite Elsa Maria. Ah, memories.

You know what's weird? Why couldn't there be MP-3 players in this era? All it would need was a genjutsu user and maybe a few special seals here and there but it wouldnt be as hard as-

Oh shit.

I dropped the genjutsu and made another one, this time, only with sound.

 _"Ooooh, I do, I do, I do, I do~"_

Holy shit.

 _"Oooh, I do, I do, I do, I doo~"_

Fuck. Yes.

"Helpless~"

* * *

"Well, whelp. Took you a month and a half but I can safely say you graduate from ineptness to greatness." The cheesy snake smirked. "Congra-fucking-lations."

I smiled at the sarcastic shoelace. "Thanks, I guess?"

"Hisa, you know what to do." Tadoshi told his sister. The silent half nodded.

"Now, this will be difficult as I cannot demonstrate but you will be learning the basic yet most important jutsu. Hidden Shadow Snake Hands can be used in conjunction with your Snake Style taijutsu to turn jabs into poisonous whips." The other half began the lesson.

Well at least I'm learning how to defend myself against ROOT while waiting for Taizo.

I summoned one pathetic looking worm of a snake from my sleeve. Tadashi snickered as the cutie-pie slithered around my finger "You aren't so bad..." I coo'd before it bit my finger.

"That was a baby viper. They are venomous," Tadahisa informed me.

...fuck.

Oh wait.

Resistance to poisons and venoms,

I'll be fine.

OOO

I blinked at the mirror, my dōjutsu finally mutated from all the chakra the weird goggles have been feeding it. My vision got clearer was the veins bulged around my eyes. When I expected normal enflames pupils, I for light lavender slit to expand when it gets brighter or darker. So this is the mutation that weird ass chakra gives. What if I put those goggles in somebody else's eyes? Like, low-key disguising it to replace Obito's?

Well, I wasn't Orochimaru. I am not doing that experimentation BS he seems to get hard to. I already had his snakes anyway.

I put on my haori and got my supplies (mostly just first aid and senbons) from Nekobaa. She greeted me happily and wished me good luck. I smiled despite not knowing what the fuck Nekomata wanted me to do with Tenzo. It's the end of spring so this should be the first Sakura Viewing Festival I'll ever miss in my entire life. Eh, I only went there for the delicious chocolate Taiyaki from that one stand that I swear used chocolate hazelnut even though I'm sure hazelnut did _not_ exist in this world. I greeted the guard cats who returned it with no hostility whatsoever and went inside Nekomata's room as I quickly tied my hair into a two tailed bun with a senbon.

Eiji was already next to him, the little snake (hah) which was next to Taizo and his mentor. I gave him a smile as he waved. The giant white monster cat blinked up at me with his yellow blue eyes that did not go well with his rough and battle-scarred appearance. He had a scroll underneath his paw which I couldn't help but eye.

"Hmmm..." He narrowed his eyes at Taizo and with a nod from Eiji, he straightened his paw.

"I think you need another month."

"What." He blanched at the audacious cat who was licking it's a paw like he just told him the weather and not that we might be filed for fraud and treason by my home town. I am slowly but surely missing the national anthem they blare out that one winter to instill morale and hope. Oh Konoha, I love thee Konoha, your mercy shine upon us and let her enemies know peace~

Nekomata raised a non-existent eyebrow as Eiji poofed out of the first sign of potential conflict.

I'm pretty sure that we can take him, despite being a monster cat. Maybe if Taizo could possess him while I wrap him with snakes or maybe I could distract him with a genjutsu so Taizo can burn him alive. Going close to him to seal his chakra via my Jyūken would also be a good idea, with that size he doesn't really seem fast. My Byakugan told me that he had chunin-level quality chakra with jonin chakra reserves anyway.

I felt a cold sweat creep up but clenched my fist. Momma didn't raise no bitch. Especially if the bitch probably won't survive a whole village filled with magic ninja voodoo bullshit. I masked my eye twitch and quickly summoned a modestly big viper on my right and sleeve fill of butterflies on my left without so much as sound.

Woah,

Multiple summons at the same time,

I did _not_ expect the headache.

Let's just get this over with.

"Tokina-san?" Taizo blinked at me, sensing the hostility.

Nekomata narrowed its eyes before drawing the summoning bells. With my newly fully mutated Byakugan, the dark wasn't so dark anymore. I threw the snake like a Bola, much to the cat's surprise. It bit it as he trashed wildly, making the bell fall harmlessly to Taizo who crushed it. He jumped next to me.

"I hope you know what you're doing." He doubted as he summoned cool looking chakra claws.

"For the most part, yeah." I blinked at his blue sharp pointy things. "Nice claws." I whistled.

He smirked. "Nice snakes."

"How dare you!" The monster cat hissed as it rolled the scroll in the end of the room. I bit my finger and used my right index to put a speck of blood in my butterfly seal. My body instantly felt lighter as blue and purple monarchs fluttered out of my sleeves. Incapacitate with genjutsu before taking the scroll sounded like a sound plan since he was resisting viper venom.

The cat ran to me in speeds that shouldn't even be possible for his size. Mission parameters say that I just needed to tie him to Konoha, right? I'm sure I can blackmail the dick or force him to.

I felt a large claw graze my haori.

"Ah, crap." I muttered as I stumbled into a roll and threw three senbon which he deflected with his chakra enhanced claws with a smug grin. Fast. So fast.

Shit I messed up.

Taizo pounced, scratching Nekomata and firing the occasional fireball. His claws cut through the thick fur with ease. Bitch was probably regretting two months of training, huh.

The butterflies around me fluttered closer and closer to the Nekomata. He clawed the kaleidoscope and with one swipe they scattered. Well, he knew that monarchs weren't so innocent anymore. The monster will probably stab me in my fifth hand seal so genjutsu via butterflies and Gentle Fist was too risky with Taizo for Short to Mid combat.

So, with giddiness, I did my first offensive Ninjutsu on my belt.

"Hidden Shadow Snake Hands." I muttered while three vipers of the same species, size and color shot through my oversized sleeves. Taizo side stepped the deadly reptile as it hissed through the air. Holy shit; why didn't I sign this contract before?! This was fucking awesome! I don't have to spam Vacuum Palm or give him a heart attack genjutsu and hope for the best now! My first lethal jutsu that _doesn't_ involve going close to a dick!

"Go my lovelies!" I cheered and summoned three more on my left hand, letting them bite and overwhelm the cat. The Yamanaka gave me a very unique look. I was probably smiling like I was insane to. Well who wouldn't?! Command over fucking snakes! How cool was that!

The furry giant hissed at the hissing reptiles and scratched them into pieces. My babies! The snakes with heads retracted back to my sleeves and u summoned themselves

"You overstep humans." The monster seemed to take us seriously now. Well, I snakes and genjutsu butterflies and Tenzo had gleaming claws sharper than a Wind Release powered shuriken. Who wouldn't be a little intimidated?

I scrunched my face. "Ew, sardine breath," I complained despite being used to the smell myself and the _slight_ intimidation I felt. Having Orochimaru as your mentor developed a…resistance to killing intent since he poured all of his in the bucket loads when I did my legendary Step-on-foot no jutsu. I was friends with cats and a cat lady. The smell of fish and fur left you desensitized. I flexed my hands, readying another barrage over deadly shoelaces

"Heh, I have to deal that every day." He scoffed as he locked an index finger with my pinky.

" _ **Plan?"**_

I straightened. Oh right, Yamanaka. Forgot,

" _ **I'll restrain. You subdue."**_ I thought awkwardly, not knowing if he was going to hear it or not.

He nodded.

"Silence!"

With a swift slash fast enough for the cat to not react but tense from Taizo, the cat growled at the blood on his fir from the sharp wind. Meanwhile, I did another _HSSH_ jutsu, three vipers poisoning and restraining him. The ravaged his arm before retracting back to my sleeve. They were summons but they were my summons. I don't want them headless.

The cat now seeing us as a threat pounced. I back flipped out of the way, the butterfly seal making me faster. I threw senbons and the occasional snake and Vacuum Palm as Tenzo I made long ranged precision cuts and stabs, the wind whistling as sharp gusts to cut the bitch. The monster howled as cuts and scratched seemed to form out of nowhere, his reflexes slowing from blood-loss, poison and a few other thins for a while as his white fur slowly bled into a red.

I took to the walls, snakes coiled around my arms, throwing senbon while Taizo continued hacking and slashing. The Nekomata howled as he began returning the onslaught with...

Fleas?

Disgusting.

Taizo swiped his knees when I dropped to the ground, the cat barely dodging the sharp winds. I need to disable him though. My Byakugan told me that a large kaleidoscope of butterflies began forming where his throne was. Thank You, independent Akinosuke! Well, if that didn't scream trap, I don't know what did.

"Taizo!" I called to my Yamanaka Partner. He jumped back and blinked up at me, focusing his gaze on what I was looking at.

"Okay."

Manipulating his movements, He directed my slashes to move him back to his throne while I threatened him with more snake and senbon while I low key prepared the trip-trap. He tripped from the ninja wire with a grunt as I threw a harmless senbon that pierced his gut and the butterflies began encasing him, absorbing his chakra and trapping him in a genjutsu.

I canceled my jutsu with heavy breathing as the cat began hissing. Taizo, who was running around and keeping him busy with his claws, looked equally winded.

"Oh my god, we beat the leader of the cats without Sharingan hax." I muttered in disbelief. In age fucking five and a half. Taizo smirked, confident that he did not hear my spoilers, which I returned. Said cat growled, breaking out of the genjutsu but too weak to stand thanks to the hundreds of chakra absorbing insects drinking him up like a soda.

"Fine! You win! Just get these butterflies off me." I stopped at the pure desperation in his tone. You know, before shrugging and unrolling the damn thing like the asshole I was, ignoring his sad please and whines. You're the leader of a proud organization! Show some dignity! You're making me want to throw away my forehead protector which I am _not wearing_ that said "Truth", gurl. That's how shameful you are right now. I released the cat that immediately began licking his wounds all the while saying shit like "my poor fur."

"Ugh. Finally," Taizo muttered and stretched and got the scroll. "I'll sign it later. For now, we _need_ to get back to Konoha."

I nodded. Need was an understatement.

* * *

"Very well. Collect your payment at the reception desk. Good job." The Hokage praised the Hyūga girl standing before him. He needed the Ninneko to accept his deal and use their supplies hut he didn't expect the Nekomata to willingly help in their war time efforts. He was happy for a moment before the girl dropped this piece of information after appearing after two months. She nodded and with a smile, left.

When she did, he couldn't repress the frown.

He'd been keeping her away from Konoha to avoid her from Danzō's grasps. The Yamanaka Clan complained to him about they're lost child named Santa who allegedly became one of Danzō's which Inoichi did _not_ like one bit.

With the war, Hiruzen couldn't afford a dispute with one of the clan that had the best skills and resources for information gathering nor arouse suspicion with his friend he's beginning to doubt with his intentions. He was always an…extremist to Konoha, wanting the Hokage position himself.

Hiruzen didn't ask for it, and if it wasn't for his love for the village and his Sensei, the Second Hokage, then he would have gladly given it to his friend.

He sighed,

But alas, the shadow must remain in the shadows if this institution wants to work.

* * *

Hiashi pursed his lips in deep thought, clutching the letter tightly. Not just any letter, but a report. From one Hyūga Akane in their mission from Iwa. He read the detailed report of what they've seen in their time since it was her duty as a Branch Member. The weak infrastructure, the supply routes, training grounds, ninja profiles, overall it was a sign of mission success. But something went wrong, they were found out in the last months of their mission, Orochimaru saved them and relocated them to the closest village we had relations to: Kiri. The third Mizukage needed them out as they cannot risk being seen housing Konoha nin.

"It can't be..." He muttered when he read the next paragraph of the report.

" _The Mizukage ordered us to leave immediately when we hadn't even started healing our wounds. A man named Ao stole Tomukaze's eye while he was still alive when he begged to be sheltered until we had successfully healed our wounds. The Yuki Clan agreed to help me escape but in one condition; they require permanent housing and be immigrated to Konoha and be given a full citizenship. We have found out that people with Kekkai Genkai is heavily frowned upon in Kirigakure."_

"Hiashi sama," At this, he noticed the inked was blotted; a sign that the war hardened Akane was crying and desperation. The professionalism of the letter began melting away to an obvious plea for help. His heart clenched at the utter desperation his clan member is currently experiencing behind enemy lines.

" _Please. I beg of you, I am currently pregnant with Tomukaze's second child. I do not want him to die nor do I want my first to be orphaned"_

"Hiashi-sama...?" The branch member, Hyūga Seto asked uncertainly. A capable jonin, best friends with the man with the clearest eyes in all of Hyūga and his wife, the Cold Blooded One Eyed Beauty; he remembered the face of the girl who has exceeded his expectations, graduating from The Academy at the tender age of five with Sakumo's son Hatake Kakashi and was now being contemplated on to enter the Chunin exams as she was Orochimaru's first and currently only apprentice. How does he tell a man and child that his best friend and father was dead and had his eye stolen and that their other best friend and mother was pregnant and being Kekkai Genkai wielders that are might as well using her as a hostage.

Orochimaru...what was the Sannin doing in Iwa of all places? He was grateful for the snake-nin for saving his clan members but he was still suspicious.

He knew what he had to do but the complications of a new clan entering Konoha? He might need to take this matter up to the council.

But the problem was Danzō.

Rumors floated around that the Old War Hawk had been collecting children of all ages to join the cruel and taxing organization called ROOT. If Akane's daughter, Tokina the prodigy that inherited the clear and pure eyes of her father and her mother's chakra control, then she might be kidnapped. With the current rules of the Hyūga which he cannot change as well as Danzō being a rank higher than him, a Branch Member going missing won't be as demanded of a search party then a Main Member while he couldn't do a thing about it in a political aspect if he got his claws on her.

He wasn't as heartless as his father, who divided his twin and him because _it was the ways of the Hyūga_.

With newfound resolution, Hiashi quickly scribbled a missive for the with recommendation that this should be classed as an S-Rank secret to prevent war.

"Seto," He called to the man on his left. The light brown haired young Jonin tensed. "I need you to deliver missive and report to the Hokage and the Hokage only." The young clan leader ordered. He nodded, bowed and body flickered away.

* * *

"Akane-san, a letter!" One of the other seven Yuki clan members that protected her called out to the pregnant Hyūga. Akane glanced at them and thanked them from her seat in the dark cave they were holed up in the middle of nowhere.

"Thank you, Yato-kun." She took the letter from the grinning six year old with a pleasant smile in her lips and a hand to her bulging stomach lovingly, caressing the last remainder of her husband. Oh Tonokazu, of all the times you'd be a pain in my side, it had to be when you were gone. She blinked away the tears and opened the letter with extremely low expectations.

"What does it say...?" The nervous Yuko piped up from her seat as she hovered beside her distant relative. Her husband put his hand on her shoulder reassuringly as Yato ran up to them. It took a lot of convincing for her dense husband to finally learn that family is more important than a village filled with persecution. All she wanted as peace and quiet with her family and if Konoha can bring it to them, then so help her she will do whatever it takes to live a happy life she desperately wanted.

That is what she promised her beloved husband after all.

Akane silently read the first paragraph, then the next and the next before sighing in relief. "A team will come pick us up in a four days!" She announced as her small group of relatives erupted in cheers. Despite her relief and happy thoughts, she couldn't help but feel a tinge of regret for agreeing to the terms...

"ROOT, huh?" She bit out, her musing drowned because of the cheers that erupted in the lively cave that was sealed up. She caressed her child in her womb lovingly. This won't bring her down. She will strive to continue the family her husband left behind. "It wouldn't be the first time I did something I regretted."

* * *

AN.

I hate how removes "-" when I go to docx edit. Like, bb I use that for line breaks in my phone, dammit!

Welp guys, we are back on track now! Back to our usual weekend programming.

Regarding about that Tenseigan comment: I was honestly disappointed that Kishi decided to fuck it up. Like, the Byakugan can see through _anything_ with enough training, the ability to expel chakra from all parts of your body (Byakugan or Hyūga thing?) and near 360 degree vision and the supposed _upgrade_ is glittery moon lasers. It's badass sure but...lasers? I was expecting better from the creator of Lava Release=Rubber Release and other creative shit. It just goes to show how dense Naruto is that Kishi had to make an entire damn movie about Hinata making Naruto a scarf so they can bang and create Boruto. :/

Sarada, Himawari and Inojin is life, by the way. Enjoy life! :)


	14. Chapter 14: Thawing Ice 4

AN.

This is literally the chapter I did not want to edit because the pacing here is so bad. It did _not_ want to be edited at all. I tried saving it but...oh well. This is one of my worst chapters so be warned.

ALSO DON'T SEARCH OKTAVIA VON SECKENDORFF IF YOU ARE CURRENTLY WATCHING MADOKA MAGICA. THAT IS BIG SPOILERS! but there is no Madoka Magica spoilers here don't worry.

WARNING: Y'all remember how she killed herself in CH1? Yeah, it wasn't so she could make "I want to kill myself" jokes. Dark and sad chapter with a light beginning.

(I also forgot that last chapter was part of thawing ice arc so I ammended it. for those who wanted to know what last chapter's title was: it's _My new shoe (laces)_ so yeah. enjoy)

* * *

I sat down in the familiar Training Ground 6 with a familiar friend and the two headed snake, practicing my Hidden Shadow Snake Hands. It always made me giddy using it because _fucking snakes man_! Akinosuke fluttered lazily on Hisa's head, watching with mild interest which was cute and I totally shipped them both. Something about summoning live rope makes me all happy inside. I should have signed this MONTHS ago. The problem was I couldn't use genjutsu with my Summoning Jutsu because: First of all, it gave me a major headache maintaining the two and second of all, maintaining genjutsu while doing ninjutsu also gave me a headache therefore doing it in the same time makes my head feel like it's being thrown about like a volley ball with dumbbells attached to it.

So that is what we were working on.

"Focus, Tokina-sama."

"Look at you, Hisa; calling this brat 'sama'." The feisty snake scoffed. The sister snake rolled her eyes at his disrespect

"Don't influence her, Tadoshi. At least she has an inkling of respect." I scolded her, cooing at the right head which I petted like a really scaly kitten. She purred while Tadoshi just scoffed and stayed silent while I continued manipulating the vipers on my wrist, mixing some butterflies when I got bored and wanted a headache.

Jesus, at least tailed beasts were perpetually quiet because they hate you. This bitch is such a narcissistic mother fucker.

 _Shoe-lace looking ass._

"Focus, Tokina-chan." Akinosuke the mentor said beside me "Now, combine your snakes with that new genjutsu you've been working on." With a sigh, I began my chakra control exercises before slowly melting the world to Octavia Von Seckendorff's labyrinth. Elsa Maria's was probably easier but I couldn't remember the parts of Decterum and besides…

The Concert Hall made me all reminiscent and giddy.

The world morphed into a strange pastel whatever. There wasn't any music yet so the world only had eerie silence. It only gets harder from here. I began summoning the snakes in conjunction with my illusion even though the labyrinth didn't call for snakes unlike Elsa Maria's. The multitasking making my brain hurt.

"Uuuuuugh-"

"Focus, Tokina-san." Akinosuke cheered me on.

I "summoned" one rolling wooden cartwheel out of thin air. It shuddered before disappearing again while I maintained keeping butterflies and snakes at the same time for an extended period. I can survive! I'll show this world that you don't need fucking hacks to live in Naruto! No Sharingan, no Jinchūriki, no bullshit other than summons and really good eyes!

"You're losing focus." My butterfly daddy scolded my labyrinth genjutsu began faltering. Fuck.

"Girlie, you need to step up your game." Tadashi assessed the situation of my ineptness. "If you can't even use the shit you have then what good are you?"

"Hey, this is harder than it looks." I pouted at the snake while I let one of the white ball pythons ball up and look cute in the palm of my hands. Such a cute danger noodle.

"Enough whinin'. If you wanna live in this world, you gotta be greater than the great and faster than the fast!" The left head puffed his non-existent chest out in pride. I rolled my eyes at the noodle while I played with the python in my hand.

Akinosuke metaphorically nodded in agreement. "No pressure, Tokina-san." He whispered to my ear encouragingly and a little bit cheekily. Ugh, no pressure. Sure, because being in a war is totally not pressuring.

I just wanted to hang with Obito and Rin. Hell, at least there were some people that got all happy with my existence. Even if one of them was gonna die and the other one turn evil. Whatever, it all turns better at the end. I'll be happy being a minor character. With a resigned sigh, I put on Octavia's labyrinth and summoned snakes again. I want to last for more than a minute before summoning another snake. I can so do this!

* * *

"Hiashi-sama...?" The dark chocolate haired girl bowed, her head on the floor, uncertainly to the clan elder. He nodded for her to take a seat. It's been two years since he had seen herthis close up; the last time was her unlocking her pride of the Hyūga. With a closer exception, he could make up the features she shared with her parents. The thin eyebrows and perfectly round face of her mother while inheriting the sharp nose, chin and her clear pure lavender with his distinct dark chocolate hair that was currently tied to a bun with the strange silver and white hair stick she got from Sora-ku. Her butterflies that seem to accompany her everywhere fluttered anxiously beside her.

Her face reeked of suspicion which he should have scolded

"Tokina, I have called you here for an urgent matter." He said, not following the conduct of greeting someone of the Branch Family

The girl visibly tensed before raising her head without any order to.

"Your mother is in a tight spot right now but she is being escorted to safety as we speak." He began the story he fabricated to lessen the blow. The girl looked worried but he saw as she tried with difficulty to remain calm and composed. She nodded absentmindedly to him. He poured the girl and himself tea before continuing.

"May I ask about my father, Hiashi-sama...?" She asked uncertainty yet her eyes piercing into his purely on the defensive.

"He got his eye stolen and died admirably in a fight to protect your pregnant mother. I'm sorry, Tokina, he's dead."

Her eyes widened as her hands tensed yet kept them in her lap to prevent herself from covering her mouth. She shook as she kept a strong face. Definitely Tomukazu's daughter, he thought reminiscently. "But that is not all." She took a sip from her teacup, her hands were shaking.

The young Clan Head waited a few moments for her to regain her composure before turning back into business

"Tokina, are you aware of the secret organization called ROOT?" He asked, anticipating the worst.

"I have..."

The clan leader narrowed his eyes at her. Has Danzō already approached her?

"...heard rumors about a secret organization called ROOT." She finished, sipping her tea. Hiashi wanted nothing more than to use his Byakugan to see if her statement was the truth. It was what he trained his birthright for, anyway. But he didn't want to make the girl feel like she was being interrogated, which made her close of from him. He knew how to deal with these types, after all.

"They aren't rumors, Tokina. They are the truth." The girl clenched the cloth of her cream Yukata in deep thought and a face that should not be in a six year old's face. "They are a legal organization, that is the truth, but I don't believe them for a second. They kidnap children who are deemed prodigious in Danzō's eyes. Inoichi, a friend of mine, informed me of ROOT kidnapping a child named Santa into their ranks. I do not want the Hyūga to be associated with them."

"I understand, Hiashi-sama. I will try my best to avoid them." She said.

He nodded, and dismissed her. When she left with a bow, he couldn't help but slump. He wasn't like his father, not one bit. His father was always so cold towards his brother, Hizashi just because he was destined to be a Branch Family. He divided the twins and forced Hiashi to become the ideal Hyūga, the Hyūga that the family and the clan needed. The tough decisions and the cold exterior, he had to inherit those if he wanted to succeed in leading the clan.

It was an honor and a pain at the same time.

* * *

I slid the door open, leaving my shoes behind. I turned on the lights and looked at the many scratches and marks the house had. It was never easy to lose a parent figure, my friends would always say. I wouldn't know, the past life I had, I left my parents when they were still alive. It was pretty selfish of me but that was the truth. But when you lose someone, and forgive me for sounding cliché, you remembered how my dad threw me up in the air when I was little; his strict yet controlled Jyūken stances as he beat those katas into me. He wasn't the perfect dad but he was my dad.

He was _one_ of my dads.

I think, what made me super guilty and sad was the fact that I didn't even shed a tear for him, which made me feel like scum. I didn't even consider him a father, just a father figure. I mean, he _is_ my dad in this world and I have good memories with him. I have a gut-wrenching feeling in my chest and my eyes burnt but I didn't cry nor did I feel the sadness when a parent died. Maybe this world was getting to me. What comforted and made me feel like the devil himself was that he died in the field, which meant that it was purely business. Nobody would be out to get me.

Jesus Christ, _"me" "me" "me"_ , it made me sound like a spoiled brat. Well, I think a spoiled brat would have killed herself just because nobody didn't really give two shits that she had the passion to be a musical conductor. How sad do you have to be to kill yourself over a goddamn job? Holy shit, there I go again and only thinking about myself when your parent figure literally lost an eye and died protecting your mom; your _second_ mom. Maybe I really did deserve to go to Dante's Inferno. Maybe the whole _reincarnation_ bullshit was a circle we didn't tackle in college.

Because, surprise, this fictional hell is your personal hell now.

I locked the door, Akinosuke's butterflies following me. I walked to me room and just lied down and began thinking. I didn't _just_ lied down and think to myself in ages because this world forced you to become an adult. It forced you to make decisions that would affect you and the people around you. It was so hard to think for yourself when Konoha stabs the idea of _teamwork_ into you, always worrying about the other party when you could barely take care of yourself.

Being melodramatic always left a bad taste in my mouth. It was so sappy to think of all this, to look into a mirror and see your eyes all bloodshot from crying while thinking of how sorry you are in situations where you aren't supposed to be sorry because _it's not your damn fault_. I never understood why the human brain always did these types of shit. The guilt, the sadness, the self-pity; it was all so tedious and irritating to deal with. I should know, when you have too much shit to worry about, you suddenly stop worrying about them.

Because you become too tired to deal with them,

And sadly, I think I'm becoming too tired to deal with mine as well.

I closed my eyes and just tried napping so I wouldn't have to deal with how _empty_ my chest began feeling. My head snapped upwards. My dark home was replaced with a giant auditorium filled with crowds of people, all smiling and cheering the shrewd and timid girl walking up the stage. The spotlight flickered open on us. I watched as the girl sat down on her portable Electronic Keyboard because the school she was in was too cheap to at least provide a good set of ivories to tickle. She stretched her hands like how she saw those professional pianists do as she thought anxiously.

" _Jesus Christ, why did I pick a song that used a bass guitar and wind instruments? And vocals! Evil, evil vocals."_

That's when she remembered the most crucial aspect of her logic. She shrugged and chuckled to herself, remembering shamefully printing off the score sheet from some guy in Music Score.

" _Oh right, for the memes."_ She thought with a tinge of regret because of her stupidity she adjusted the microphone. She began testing the keyboard if it played correctly, the ambience and the volume of the speaker. She winced when she tapped the microphone, the feedback causing a collective cringe from the audience. She dipped her head and muttered a small sorry that nobody heard because she was scared of the devilish thing known as the microphone. Yet, because of her mom and dad, she had to perform the piece she sang at their birthday for a birthday present because her forgetful ass forgot.

 _"Let's go in the garden. You'll find something waiting. Right there where you left it, lying upside down."_ She began with a slight quake in her voice. I watched her with wide eyes before snorting and cringing away at how her voice cracked at the chorus.

Jesus Christ, I was terrible.

"You have a terrific voice." Akinosuke called from amongst the faceless crowd, sitting on a plastic chair like he owned the place. It must be his genjutsu. I tried breaking out of it to save myself from cringing from the terrible pre-vocals me because I was that bad. Of course, it was expected that the man who taught me everything I knew from the Mangyekō Illusion tree of genjutsu would have a solid one. It was a pretty good genjutsu, of course.

You know; the genjutsu he's using with _my_ chakra.

"Pre-puberty vocals is the worst vocals." I snorted, trying to save myself from the second-hand humiliation. "Are you going to keep me in here? I'm fine, Akinosuke-san."

 _"Everything stays, right where you left it..."_ I ignored her and hummed along with the _correct_ tempo. True, it might be because she was nervous. She never sang and played the piano before but it was still there.

"Do you really believe that?" He chuckled, blocking my view with his tall "body", arms crossed and a raised perfectly sculpted eyebrow because he's a narcissistic asshole like that to manifest himself as a dreamboat. I rolled my eyes at his immature display. He's not the one in the body of the five year old.

"Would I be saying it if I didn't believe it," I answered simply. "Now can you release me? I want to take a nap?"

"I am not going to release you until I am sure that you will not commit the same mistake you did in your past life." He said adamantly.

"Akinosuke, I'm fine." I said, opening my arms. "I have friends I can talk to, Akinosuke. And right now, you're preventing me from seeing them."

"That is what you kept on saying in the days of you being a pianist." He crossed his own arms. "Frankly, I don't believe that you would tell Rin-san and Obito-san your problems. What exactly is their friendship to you?"

"Is this supposed to be an impromptu guilt trip?" I clutched the fabric of my kimono shirt not in anger but annoyance. Something in my chest flared up that made me want to punch his smug face. I couldn't even stand just looking at him. Was it because he was right? I probably knew. What was my friendship dynamic? Was I using them or were they using me? I didn't fight some old dude to have my summon mother me around.

Of course that isn't what friendship is. I knew that. Friendship isn't a business contract. It isn't mutualism. It was having a general liking to the other party, wasn't it? That even if they had troubles, you would help them in because you cared about them,

"Well, I had real friends in my past life which you guys so rudely reminded me of."

And I left them.

"Well, maybe you need a wake-up call, Tokina-san."

"Oh please," I muttered. "A wake-up call to the _real_ world would be great right about now."

What was he getting at? Isn't it already established that I was one of the scums of this Earth? It's like he _wants_ me to kill myself which was sounding more and more appealing by the minute because of these _terrible_ vocals. I knew what happened after death. I get reincarnated. Maybe killing myself over and over again would lead to the perfect world I want and not some place where you'd wish you'd want to be born in the fucking Great Depression. It wouldn't that be hard, instead of drowning, soldier pill overdose would be a real thing. I couldn't help but snort. Was any of this real? This is a world where I KNEW what's going to happen. This all seems just like a coma dream, fiction characters coming to life? What a concept that's been used over and over again.

"And this world is not real?" He waved away the stage, the world fluttering into something new and something familiar.

"Tokina-chan,"

"I thought we agreed on Tokuma?"

I stared wide eyed at the man clad in medical garbs, his hair tied into a fishnet as he pouted with his mask down to his satisfied wife who was holding their bundle of joy in their hands. She held the quiet baby and brushed the side of her cheek lovingly. They began muttering to each other as the faceless nurse aids began working on whatever they were doing.

"Of course this isn't real." My finger twitched as I stated a cold and cruel fact. It was a fact. "This is all created by a man who had a stroke of inspiration and great imagination and put the two in paper for us to read and enjoy."

The baby began crying suddenly. The two panicked while the amused an obviously experienced nurse aids came to the new parent's rescue. I couldn't help but snicker at the look at my dad's face. He looked absolutely flustered.

"Is it really?" He questioned genuinely surprised. Or mock. You can't really tell with his tone. "Pain is real and you're feeling it right now."

The world began transforming and shifting anew, this time not somewhere I was familiar with. It was a pleasant and homey house, a lady with a bulging stomach cooking eggs. She hummed a tune I wasn't familiar with. The door opened to see a man in an Iwagakure uniform, looking tired and badgered but displayed no signs of that when the two looked at each other lovingly. She left the eggs and favored the man who just entered as they embraced.

"They all have individual lives. This world is more than ink and paper." Akinsouke said gently.

I felt a tinge of guilt creep to my chest. That sounded pretentious. That sounded like Orochimaru.

The world showed bits and pieces of the show I grew with and played with. "It does not revolve Obito-san and Rin-san. There are more to them than what they might or might not do." Two of my friends held hand in hand as they walked a separate path looking absolutely happy with themselves as the old illusion all but forgotten. They fluttered into nonexistent in the genjutsu world, the butterflies with reflective wings fluttering nearby, perfectly showing my red-eyed face.

I didn't even know I was crying.

"For example, were you aware that Obito-san was telling you about that one time he helped this old man in the street who offered him a summoning scroll but he refused because he was going to be late for class."

I looked down and guiltily shake my head. Did he really pass up an opportunity to sign a summoning scroll? I don't recall that story.

"Or Rin-san and her dilemma with her parents. They wanted her to become a ninja and not a doctor to boost their already social-standing with the council."

Did she say that?

"I may not know everything inside that mind of yours but I know what's given to me. I find it how ironic how a woman who wants to avoid any bloodshed or uses other people memories, a proof of them living their lives, as her own weapon can't even connect with the people around with her who are supposedly supposed to be her friends and family." He chuckled humorously.

"That or you were just that callous."

I frowned genuinely at his assessment. I wasn't that callous. That...hurt.

"It should." He gave me a serious look. "People would be hurting if you died." Akinosuke said as he disappeared. "You know that more than I do." The genjutsu dropped as a blue butterfly fluttered away the cold and empty house.

He was right. This might have been some story in someone else's imagination but, goddamn, it's my reality now. These people weren't characters. These were people. I turned my focus on this house. There were nicks and tears around the walls, half ripped pillows I never noticed were stitched with red thread. Burns in the pots and pans that indicated my mom _had_ to have had a start around the kitchen. My ears caught a soft scratching sound. With something heavy in my chest (and me feeling sight relief at the fact that there was weight in my chest.) I opened the door to a familiar white Ninnken.

"Eiji-san?" I said shocked the cat as he strolled right in.

"Tokina-san." He greeted me "Taizo-sama ordered me to tell you that you have a joint mission with him this week."

I stared blankly at the cat, giving me a squinted smile. "Hey, Eiji-san, don't you have a family?"

He hummed before lying down on the tatami mat. "Eh, I have three kittens. They can take care of themselves."

Connect with the world…?

"...Tell me about them."

* * *

AN.

You can tell I had an addiction to Rebecca Sugar.

Lapis and Peridot fusion when?

Tokina was supposed to be an SI but in the end all she inherited from me was my tastes and sense of humor. Honestly, it was super hard to write this chapter because how _real_ it felt. I mean, I am _perfectly fine_ I swear (even though the exams are on the corner uuugh) but if anyone of you are super sad, you don't even need to be depressed or anything, I found that talking is great. But when you don't have anyone to talk to (like me most of the time because I'm a shy mofo) I found that drawing what-fuckin'-ever works too.

Tokina _needs_ this sort of character development because pushing someone down even _deeper_ when it was proven that she had the last bits of strength to end her life is really bad for a reincarnation OC because when you think about it, people kill themselves to escape.

She didn't escape.

Of course, I'm not saying suicide is the right choice. Hell, it shouldn't even be a choice at all in my opinion but who am I to say how you should feel?

But people _do_ have feelings and they would feel something if you died. It's up to you if you want to take those feelings into consideration.

MOVING ON.

It would be unrealistic if someone that killed themselves was fixed because of some magic butterfly voodoo fairy so all Aki did was lessen the urges for now. I love reading angst, I never knew how much I would hate writing it. Could someone give me pointers in writing angst and _not_ melodrama? Y'all have no idea how much I googled on how to write angst when I wrote this chapter.

BUT LIKE ENJOY LIFE Y'ALL BECAUSE YOU GUYS ARE THE ONLY ONES THAT CAN! :)

(p.s. if someone could review how they thought the pacing of this story is, that would be great. 14 chapter and suddenly angst? Is that fine? idk, I would appreciate a review or a pm if y'all are shy, ty wish me luck in the exams)


	15. Chapter 15: Thawed Ice

AN.

A semi-fluffy chapter since that _mess_ left me all soul-searchy and weird.

I really can't think of _any_ warnings besides the usual.

* * *

"Stay safe, Tokina-chan." One of the older female Branch Members called me despite me despite us just being really distant cousins. Maybe dad knew her. He was always so social. I was going out to find the meeting spot Yamanaka Taizo assigned for us since it was the first time he was going to lead a mission, and a very important one at that. It was a cold winter so I had a change of clothes in my pack when we enter the Land of Water. Maybe I wouldn't need them. They were dad's anyway. I always liked his oversized shirts over my girly clothing mom kept making me where.

Dad...

No. Come on.

I walked out of Konoha's gate with a sound genjutsu playing a song. It didn't consume much chakra and I could pass it off as "genjutsu (and to some extent), chakra control practice." I hummed walking through the dawn in the snowy streets of Konoha before I reached the woods, a muffler wrapped around my hoodie. I trudged the snow, going to the meeting place for the mission; the Land of Mud. Fairly easy, just scout and about for a week since a spy tipped us off with Kiri trying to negotiate with them. Either scout for a week or get any visible proof of their alliance. I was leaning on the latter part because the "Land of Mud" doesn't sound too comfy for my liking. It was in the border of The Land of Fire and the Land of Water.

Oh, I get it. Mud. Ha, ha, ha.

Couldn't help but reluctantly a chuckle at the disgustingly corny name. This was worse than Obito's jokes. I smiled at the memory of the kid. Damn, he was so love sick. It was enough to start a damn war. And Rin, she really was innocent. The life of a Kunoichi just ain't for her.

But she would be a damn fine doctor though.

Eh, it was her dream to save the world next with Obito. She should be cheering him on with Team Minato. I just need to somehow make Obito less lovesick than usual since the chances of going to that team are insanely small. I wouldn't want to be in Team Minato, anyway. With the father of Naruto in there, who knows what sorts of trouble I'd get myself into. If he was anything like his unlucky yet somewhat also lucky in the worst sort of way then I would literally sign the first resignation letter I could get my hands on and get reassigned to another team.

Because no way in hell was I going to let him die after my revelation that should have been thought of the moment I was born. Seriously, how fucking pretentious; irritated me to know ends. It Makes me cringe just thinking about it.

I am vain, not arrogant.

Or am I?

Whatever!

The point is the world doesn't revolve around me because I thought I was a special snowflake! I should be happy that I got a second chance in life even though it's in the middle of a goddamn war.

But that didn't stop the occasional bouts of apathy and crippling guilt that came out of the blue.

I wanted to cure myself out of this funk I was perpetually in. I still felt like the scum of the Earth but maybe, just maybe, I could finally open my eyes to what the people kept admiring about me and listen to the few people that cheered my name. Maybe I could convince mom to giving me some Anti-Depressants because I know that this feel good feeling is going to fade away.

I walked into the meeting spot, a forest clearing. The water was beautifully frozen and the lush green trees had white tinges of snow. I waited for a few seconds before I heard a rustling in the woods.

"Ready?" Taizo smirked from behind me, catching me by surprise. I let out a soft shriek before scowling at the boy. _Dick_. Here I am trying to not be fucking angst-y since I refuse to become a Sasuke and there you are, surprising the living hell out of me. Probably thought he was the funniest boy in the whole goddamn world. I need _therapy_ not goddamn heart , he is a Yamanaka. Maybe he could help me. I thought about it for a second before dismissing the thought entirely. I was being racist.

Clan-ist?

Beside the point, it was saying that just because he is a Yamanaka means he should be a therapist. It's like saying just because you're a Hyūga means that you need to be a taijutsu specialist or just because you're an Uchiha means that you need to be an angst-y teenager with family problems. It is bad to stereotype but people like me couldn't help it. Sometimes jabbing on certain aspects is funny. Like how the Hyūga are always a victim to "are you blind?" jokes because of how their eyes looks like a giant fucking cataract or how Uchiha males (besides Fugaku, for some reason) are either hot or girly looking.

"Whatever. Let's go." I rolled my eyes at the Yamanaka. He smiled before briefing me of the mission and the plan. I nodded as he told me what to do. We were going to try and get a scroll not only for the fast mission but for extra brownie points with the Hokage. Taizo made a bet with Soma that he could become jonin at his age but I doubted that. If he did become jonin at that point he would at least be mentioned in the anime. The Yamanaka needs more badasses, really. The Abumare is already so strong, the Inuzuka are one-trick ponies, the Ino-Shika-Cho trio are creepy for scheduling when they're going to bang and the other clans with Kekkai Genkai are either filler or unimportant. We ran through the day, mid way changing clothes to suit the hot weather. I ticked in my muffler and stripped from my shinobi black, favoring the tight short shorts and thigh high boots. I adjusted my holster to fit which was brand new since I lost my old one. Hiashi gave me this one to make up for his attitude at the awaken you're Byakugan tradition reserves for firstborns and condolences for losing a parent so I know it's good,

Sugar daddy Hiashi? I repressed a laugh, choke and a snort all at the same time.

Disgusting,

"Pfff." I failed. At least my terrible sense of humor is there.

Oh who the hell am I kidding?

The badder the better, the cheesier the sweeter. Fuck anyone with a ten foot long pole who says otherwise. I met up with the cheeky almond eyed Yamanaka and we ran through the Land of Fire for a week, reaching multiple borders and avoiding conflict. Thank God or whoever put me here (and also a big fuck you but I've been cursing that for six years in a row now) that the Land of Mud was pleasantly warm. Damn snakes and butterflies making me sensitive to the cold and the whole _lethargy_ bullshit when I'm in warm weather. It is bad in the work environment I was in right now.

To make matters _way better_ , the gate to the Land of Mud was _not_ covered in mud but in squishy land that squelched when we stepped on it. It was wet and damp but it _was not_ mud which was a really pleasant surprise. The inner six year old wanted to jump up and down but I repressed the thought because there are people judging me right now.

Good people (Taizo, somewhat) and bad people.

"Kiri-nin. About five of them." The Yamanaka sensed. I nodded and muttered an "affirmative, checking now." Mechanically and activated my Byakugan without any hand seals. I scanned the area and found none. It was either he can see beyond my fifty meters or he's pulling my leg which is not something you want to do in a now professional environment with the potential of a fight. Wow, that was impressive, honestly. "It seems that our spy was right." He said, focusing.

"Sadly." I muttered casually next to him. He snorted.

"Mission Parameters only said spy right? No need to engage?" I reasoned hopefully. A chunin and genin against a cell of professionals sounds stupid, even if both of them cane from prestigious clans. Even if you remove the whole clan bit, we were outclassed because we were built for _support_ with my genjutsu and eyes. I only got my first offensive _ninjutsu_ recently and I still have trouble with it! Taizo, on the other hand, was a Yamanaka sensor. He was better as a support, and I wasn't being clan-ist. I'm sure he had a few ninjutsu and I _know_ he can do well with his Fierce Claw style taijutsu but we aren't in the position to fight _five_ goddamn nin.

He nodded, the fun-loving Yamanaka switched to cold and professional which was fueled by self-preservation. "Be stealthy. Observe only and engage when necessary."

I did the hand seals for Camouflage Jutsu. "Goes without saying," He smiled at the sad attempt to lighten the situation. At least he has a semblance of humor. I entered the village (sorry excuse for a thing) the ground was perpetually damp which was now disgusting and irritating when you're nerves are grating. I took to the wooden roofs, masking the sound of my boots.

Byakugan!

With what I could get from my X-Ray vision/binocular eyes, they were having a meeting with some other civilians. _Probably to recruit them or something._ Kiri was being suspicious, more and more hostility through the war. We were already losing the war, Konoha doesn't need another damned enemy. I hopped to the roof of the seemingly normal house. I channeled my chakra to my ears and pressed them down the cold roof.

"-now wait just a minute." One of the males said, probably civilian since his chakra went all nervous and fluctuates, not to mention how low the quality of his chakra was.

"We're not asking for much, all we need is a base to reside in." He threatened despite his flowery tones. "And maybe the Land of Mud's loyalty to Kiri but that can come after the war or unless you're feeling generous now."

Not good. A base near the Land of Fire? No, baby, no.

I heard a distinct shriek and a thud of the table.

"Are you feeling generous now?" I could imagine him smiling. Using my Byakugan to confirm my suspicions (and I was right because the man _was in fact_ smiling like a lunatic), the fox like man was caressing a Kiri-kunai that was stabbed through in the middle of the table, all for the scared village elders to see. The table had a map spread out, Konoha being the one stabbed through the map with multiple broken lines (rotations?)

I stopped the chakra through my ears and kept my Byakugan on because fuck hostage situations. I dropped back to the bush with a suspicious cat that held too much chakra. I stroked his fur as I whispered.

"Rumor was right. They have a map in there." I stopped, thinking if I should say the second part. I sighed and continued my flimsy report. "It is Konoha's best interest to snatch it." I reported to the leader-cat.

He mewed and pawed his face in my lap. "But is it in our best interest?"

"Nope,"

"Then let's get it."

"Of course. Because the mission parameters said so,"

The yellow cat rolled his eyes (honey, those are going to stay at the back of your head if you keep rolling them like that) and with a poof of smoke, the cat-nin in all his glory came back. He rolled his shoulders and cracked his neck. He moved his low ponytail to his back and dusted off the dirt and leftover fur from his transformation from his chunin vest.

"So, what's the plan?" I questioned in our hidey-bush, my Byakugan deactivating.

He smirked. "How good are you at those snake summons?"

* * *

This plan was simple and utterly stupid. With my Byakugan active and myself hidden with Camouflage jutsu and a subtle genjutsu for quick measure, I and cat-Taizo waited near the building where the meeting was supposedly at. The men (and most importantly the other nin) were still there, fighting it out. We needed at least one of the nin to get the fuck out so Taizo can possess them with his Mind Body Transfer Technique, put the impromptu decoy map (which was basically a piece of paper with a temporary Transformation seal on it which Taizo made from his fūinjutsu tools.) and get the fuck out, all the while me readying a quick escape and protecting Taizo's actual body which was fine because I had two gigantic brown spotted boas and a few snakes to scout. I wanted to summon butterflies for scouting but multi-summons still gave me a headache like never-before.

We waited and waited and waited.

I was contemplating on putting on genjutsu music before one of the other Nin stood up.

I straightened while Taizo who was leaning by a tree near the bushes gave me a raised eyebrow. "Look alive, Taizo-san. Fox-face is coming up." I reported with my Binoculars/X-Ray vision. Without sparing him a glance because the Byakugan was doing that for me already, I watched him nod and ready his Mind Body Possession Technique. He readied their clan's famed hand seal and waited.

Fox-face walked out.

"Mind Body Possession Technique!" Taizo muttered instantly before swaying. I caught and steadied his body while I saw the happenings of his possession. Fox-Face stumbled as well but regained his bearings. He gave me a thumbs up at my direction.

I let put a breath I didn't know I was holding in.

"Get the map and get out. Akinosuke-san will be accompanying you for a quick escape." I informed the Taizo-fox, handing him the decoy map. Many snakes slithered inside his Kiri Issued chunin Vest without much hesitation. He nodded and gave me a cat-like smirk even though I knew he was uncomfortable with all those snakes slithering around his body that did not go well with the middle aged man's face.

He took off and continued in with the meeting.

With my Byakugan, I focused on Taizo-fox while I paid no attention to the overly affectionate brown boas coiling around me and Taizo's empty body. I watched the scene as Taizo walked in the room. He slammed his hands down on the table just like how Fox-face would do it. I saw how he scratched his index finger with his middle finger, which was the assigned sign for some reason. I readied myself for the plan.

In three,

Two,

One,

The snakes instantly slithered out of Taizo's body, biting everyone, even the elders, that came in his path. Shrieks can be heard even from my hidey-hole while Taizo-fox used the Pandemonium to hurriedly replace the map with the decoy, kunai stab and all, before coming to me. He walked out of the meeting house and ran to me.

Now's my cue!

"Hidden Shadow Snake Hands!" I muttered, three vipers hissing out of my sleeve in high speed. Taizo-Fox swayed, his eyes diluting _before_ being hit by the poisonous serpents. His eyes refocused into a scowl while the real Taizo stood up, shaking his head to remove the drowsiness. The snakes dug their lethal fangs into Fox-Face's neck, arm and leg not giving him tome to shriek. I shrugged off the guilt for later because I knew this species of vipers were especially lethal. They returned to my sleeves while Taizo retrieved the real map.

"I know those Kiri-nins won't be hindered by snakes alone! Come on!" I ushered the disoriented chunin. He nodded, his eyes refocusing and we broke into a sprint, getting away from the poverty ridden village as fast as we can.

* * *

We reached Konoha border without any conflict which was really good. I felt very satisfied for myself and Taizo because that a really good mission. It could have been worse, honestly. We walked back into the safety of the Land of Fire which was heavily guarded by periodic patrols by Konoha because we _are_ in a war. The Yamanaka and I walked through the snow with our snow gear on. I began reflecting on the mission before asking Taizo an important question.

"Hey Taizo-san, where's the map?" I asked for the umpteenth time. He sighed and wiggled the real map in front of my face before pouting. "Come on. We survived two missions together. You could at least drop the "san"." He caressed his cheeks. "It makes me feel so old."

I smirked at his vanity which I shared. It _was_ the least I could do, though. I have been annoying him with that same question over and over again. So I was paranoid? You should be if you want to be a ninja. I deserve not questioned Anti-Depressants for this.

* * *

It was fairly obvious that we were losing the war. I knew that winning meant destroying Kannabi (which unlocks a whole new level of fucked up shit) and that was okay. I know that destroying supply routes is better than locating a supply route and knowing your enemies but I wanted to feel like I was making a difference. We were losing the war, sure but like, me and Taizo worked hard to get a map of trading routes and rotations that Kiri was planning to do _in the Land of Fire under our noses_ so that must have amounted to something. The Hokage who was in his prime thanked us for the treat though so that was nice.

I hope Kannabi never fucking happens.

Fuck Kannabi.

Taizo bid fair well to my genin self as I immediately went through the lengthy process of spoiling myself which included sweets, clothes which a certain two headed snake recommended for me because _wow_ do they have great fashion sense for glorified rope and romance novels. Lots and lots of romance novels. Give me all the cheesy romance.

* * *

I unpacked the books (majority), supplies I had, underwear and other variants if things that I would find awkward if I saw them magically in my room in this labyrinth of a compound. After fixing up the place by adding a few paintings, pictures and general sprucing up the place with my normally untouched money in my bank, I heard a two knocks. My mom was coming to this house after what probably felt like _years_ for her so the least I could do was to clean the place and make it look good.

I contemplated whether to use my Byakugan or not.

It would seem rude...

I quickly went to the door and slid it open. "Tokina-san," Hiashi greeted as I bowed to him, my forehead instantly on the ground. This is such a weird tradition honestly "Hiashi-sama, It is an honor to have you. Please come in."

He assessed what I've done to the place before letting himself in. He gave me a speculative look. This couldn't be good.

He looked at me with a gleam in his eyes before speaking. "Your mother is arriving here after a few days." My eyes widened in hope and absolute joy. I felt a tug on my lips. A confirmation and reassurance was always nice. Hiashi took in my reaction, and I could have sworn from his cold exterior that it melted just a bit. "She will be bringing a few Yuki Clan members with her." He gave me papers. Like a lot of papers. "She told me to let you sign all the papers yourself and prepare for her coming."

I nodded and took the papers. He left me after finishing the tea. I saw him off before rushing to see what the papers were. It was strange why he couldn't just let a trusted Branch Member (like his _brother_ for instance) deliver this to me. It must be very important. It was all clan shit that went way over my head but I assured myself that whatever my mom is making me sign, it's going to be worth it. I was about to start before I saw a _non-formal_ letter at the very tip-top.

The top most one was a letter. It was from my mom.

I read her familiar hand writing, relaying all the instructions to me that Hiashi should have done. One by one, I began filling up those blanks. It wasn't a heartfelt letter that I was expecting but she must be tired from the mission so I can cut her some slack. When I finished another piece I eyed something I thought I wouldn't see until I was eighteen.

I groaned, staring at the personification of the hell that I did not enjoy as an adult. One look in a specific pieces of paper and I banged my head on the table. "Taxes," I started. "Why did it have to be taxes. I could kill myself-"

A painful bite to the nose by Akinosuke and an angry hiss from the two headed serpents who were lounging away, informed of my situation by the loud mouth butterfly.

"I'm joking! Stop!"

* * *

With my mom coming home soon and a potentially hard mission accomplished, the Hokage informed me that I could have a break from the missions I had. I didn't feel like training, reading or just lounging in the compound and Rin was off in the hospital studying to become a good doctor or something. The Academy had no school today so I thought, hey; why not hang out with one of the friends you made.

Which is exactly why I'm in this situation right now,

"Tokina?" Obito tasted my name in new light after I informed him that it meant "Climbing a mountain of vegetables." The taller kid snorted the _Uchiha snort_ meaning, the sound every Uchiha makes when they are amused of your pitiful existence, at the discovery before full on laughing at the way to the Uchiha Compound for training, him teaching me how shuriken and I on chakra control since my whole fighting style revolved around the precision of the stuff. I already told him that mom was coming which he took happily. Boy couldn't stop jumping. But hey, back to shuriken training (fucking fidget spinner won't hit the damn target.)

It was a good trade-off, don't judge me.

He took the new news with more grace than me who loudly when I realized what on Earth _Tokina_ meant.

"What was your parents drinking when they named you?" He accused good naturedly with a smirk. What was wrong with mom indeed? It was an _okayish_ name unlike some of the names I heard like fucking _Pepe_ or _Bonbon_. I mean it had a nice ring to it. It didn't sound all too girly for my liking and it doesn't feel strange on the tongue when you say it.

Until you realize it means _to climb a mountain of vegetables._

"Who named you?"

"Mom,"

"Ew,"

But other than the whole veggie fetish? Grade B naming, mom. Slightly higher than Minato's goober jutsu names. If I remembered correctly, he named Sasuke's and Naruto's combination move something like Scorch Release: Halo Hurricane Jet Black Arrow Style Zero. It was so over the top and actually sounded it was from an anime. Minato is so cute sometimes. Kushina is such a lucky girl.

I pouted at him. "At least my name doesn't sound like it could end with _butt_."

"What?"

"Nothing, Obutto."

His face contorted into something hideous and disbelief which made me utter a giggle. The man he was destined to turn to was supposed to kill many people yet here I am calling him a butt. What if I fail let him turn into a Lollipop pedo and survive the Fourth Ninja War? How cool would it be to call him Obutto if I ever decide I'm going to join the war and not stay in my quaint little hut in the middle of a secluded hill in the Land of FIre? Imagine his face when he hears that.

Imagine all the ways he can kill me.

Obito frowned. "That was horrible."

"That was the epitome of my humor. You should feel blessed you heard it." I snickered as we walked through Konoha.

"Well two can play at that game! Tokina...Tokin...Toki...this is hard."

I waited for his muttering to cone to a close. Despite my mom not doing so well in her naming schemes, he gave me a foolproof name, without too many condescending nicknames to boot. Well, maybe I could come up with more better and witty nicknames for Obito given enough time.

"Yeah, I give up." He admitted defeat dejectedly.

"Vegetable girl one, Obutto zero." I flaunted over.

He scowled and pinched my cheek. "Owowowowow."

"At least I ain't fat!" He pinched harder, all the while me trying to slap his hands away.

"I'm not fat! I'm thicc! Now get your grubby hands off!"

The obnoxious swine of the seven year old I grew to emotionally invest in gave me the messiest raspberry possible and didn't let go of my plump and round cheek. He snickered at my obvious displeasure but I couldn't bring myself to seal the chakra points around his heart or trap him in a genjutsu so terrible it would make him pee his pants and traumatize him from uttering the word "genjutsu".

But that didn't stop me from threatening him.

The veins around my wyes bulged while two big brown boas known for their intelligence slithered out of my sleeves, wrapping the poor boy. He let out a girly shriek as the boas coiled around him, not too hard to break his bones but not too loose to make it seem like a pleasant hug.

He tried to look scared before he snorted despite his situation.

"I'm sorry; I really can't take you seriously when you have those big butterflies on your head and shoulders combined with your fat cheeks and thighs." He continued his snickering even though the snakes that used to creep the shit out of him was wrapped around his waist. They did their weird tongue thing when they wanted to smell and all Obito did was push the reptiles out of his face.

I pouted childishly at him. "These butterflies can kill you if they want to."I deactivated my Byakugan and released the grip on him, the boas hissed before slithering back to my sleeves, going back to whence they came from.

We reached the Uchiha training grounds while exchanging sarcastic quips regarding his name and me regarding my thicc-ness. He was just jealous he wouldn't get fine ass for the rest of his life. Rin was more of a boobs kind of 'gal anyway. We reached the training grounds and he began throwing shuriken like the machine gun he was, all of them missing the bull's eye but kind of close to it.

"Hmph, meanie..." I kicked the ground as another bout of apathy attacked me. I clenched the empty feeling in my chest. Obito, sensing the sudden change of mood, turned his back and looked at me worriedly with his big, young eyes. The bouts of apathy and tiredness was getting harder and harder to deal with when I didn't have anybody by my side. It was a good thing I had summons or I don't know what I'd do. So, to distract myself from the terrible feeling in my chest and to make an effort to get to know the person I emotionally invested on, I asked a cliché question.

"Obito..." I started reluctantly as the young boy approached me. He gave me a concerned look and uttered a "What is it, Kina-chan?"

"What's your favorite color?"

He looked dumbfounded at me. I mean, the mood shifted from bright and happy to dark and gloomy then all of a sudden, the girl asks "What's your favorite color?". I didn't blame him for staring at me the way he was but you have to cut me some slack because _I am trying_ to _connect_ with this world I knew from only pen, paper and from behind a screen. He looked at me before _actually_ thinking what his favorite color was. When he decided what to say, I could have sworn there were tinges of pink on his cheeks and ears.

"It's actually…brown." He fidgeted uncomfortably.

I smiled at him. "I never would have guessed."

* * *

AN.

I'M ALMOST DONE WITH MY EXAMS Y'ALL!

ALSO 100+ FAVORITES I'M SHAKING.

Sorry if I'm late updating since I did promise Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Life as a graduating (well not really graduating since our shit president decided to be an ass and implement K-12 when it was _my batch_ but whatever I guess) student is hard with exams, thesis...es, projects, plays and other stuff.

I refuse to post an unedited chapter.

Also, what do you guys want for a Christmas present? An omake of your request, a sneak peak in super later chapters a.k.a the ones I am currently writing (if this is chapter 15 I can guess what I'm writing is about chapter 30 I think) or...double post? I'll make a poll after I post this chapter later so yeah.

Happy holidays and enjoy life! :)

( , if your listening, I want my Christmas present to have the [-] sign not removed when I upload the docx when I edit because I use those as line breaks for my phone, ty)


	16. Chapter 16: Ice

AN.

Done with the exams and on to the Holiday Breaks! Come one you guys! Don't be shy to vote! I'm only keeping it around Dec. 22 2017 since I have to possibly write and edit the shit!

This chapter was supposed to be longer but as I continued editing and adding, which then increased the word count significantly, I just cut it.

I'm that bitch :)

WARNINGS! Politics, second-hand shame, awkward situations and a whole lot of CRINGE (lord I hope it's not because of my writing style) because of said situation.

* * *

I opened the door, ready to take a boring and safe D-Rank and or be assigned to a C-Rank with another team and or guard duty in the village gate. Honestly, it's like I'm an overused rag being passed around. Seriously, is there no other genjutsu specialist with Mystic Palm in their repertoire (except if it was Taizo, he's an absolute cinnamon roll when he wasn't annoying.)? I mean, I literally have chakra converstion cancer (or frozen chakra coils, I don't know. Maybe reincarnation chakra is like that) and I could do it. It's not that hard people. They should really require that every nin should at least have, not a medic ninja, but one medical-jutsu!

It's like they want to die or something.

I know I still do.

Oh wait. Trying to stop that depressing shit, huh? Well it's not like I can stop it since _my mom was literally staring back at me_ with seven other people and Hiashi. The whole room went silent as did my mind when we just stared at each other. The tension was thick and the awkwardness could make radiation weep in shame because it probably had the power and the amount to fuel a goddamn city. It was that bad. I seemed to have stumbled into an unfortunate stupor. My eyes lavender eyes widened as did her light lilac.

"Oh my _Obutto_." I muttered smartly under my breath.

"T-Tokina?" My mom whom I haven't seen in more or less a year said reluctantly as her fingers fidgeted like all she wanted was to grab me and make up for the lost time. I know I wanted to do that. Since I really didn't know what to do in these types of situation, I just held her eyes and stayed where I am. Hiashi's lips pursed while the newcomers (well I was the " _newcomers_ ", honestly) gave me a sideways glance before turning back to the Hokage. I was the first one to break eye contact, not because I was hurt or something, I wasn't _that_ petty. She had a career going on and I could understand that. I probably wouldn't have broken eye contact if her _stomach wasn't_ bulging.

That did not look like obesity.

Woah, wait hold the fuck on. Sugar Daddy Hiashi did not include the whole pregnantbit in "the your mother is in a tight spot" situation. Did they willingly send out a pregnant woman and her husband on a mission to spy? Was it their cover? Was she raped? Was the whole "rape victim" thing her cover to migrate to Iwagakure? Oh god, this is all sorts of inhumane and fucked up. I'm six years old people. I shouldn't be handling this.

"Um..." My intelligible response to everything that overwhelmed me, "I'm interrupting aren't I?"

I felt myself cringe when I saw one of the visitors that looked absolutely plain and boring smirked.

The air's temperature dropped and I suddenly remembered who they were. They were the Yuki Clan, wielder of the Ice-Release and my second favorite clan before the Hyūga Clan when I was alive. The whole Demonic Mirrors bit in the anime was so cool, I had to squeal in the war arc when Haku was reincarnated. Haku probably wasn't even born yet but I wanted to take him into my arms and protect my precious cinnamon roll.

If I could get through the awkwardness of that situation and this day, then maybe I would.

I probably wouldn't anyway.

I don't have the guts to just adopt someone outright.

"I'll just…" I muttered and made my way to the Hokage's door. Why aren't there looks in this thing? Where the hell where the guards protecting this very important meeting of Kekkai Genkai wielders wanting to immigrate here in Konoha? Shouldn't this be all under wraps or something? This damned building is so counterintuitive with the whole "many hallways to confuse infiltrators but the Hokage door doesn't have a goddamn lock" shit.

"Tokina, come." Hiashi ordered, his voice drowning my muttering and spluttering.

Shit.

Fucking Hiashit with the Grade A clan leader act.

This makes absolutely no fucking sense. I'm just a lowly genin, what the hell am I supposed to do here?!

I closed the door again, and made a beeline for Hiashi who was at the corner in his traditional Hyūga uniform, a green haori and gray yukata. My mom looked slightly hurt by the action but said nothing. I wanted nothing more than to rush to her but that would be _slightly_ stupid on my part. The Yuki's gave me an odd look before the Hokage cleared his throat. My own throat clenched when I saw that Danzō was in the same fucking room. The War Hawk gave me a low-key glare that all the girls in my class would envy before directing his attention at the matter of hand.

Oh God. Fuck me for not using my Byakugan to check the rooms first. God, the shit head, gave you one fucking gift and here you are, _not using it for its purposes._ Tokina you goddamn idiot.

Jesus, I wanted someone (Jesus, if you could) to take the wheel for me right now because I do not want to have all this awkward tension surrounding me. The air is a thick as Rin and my thighs which was really bad for my mental and physical and maybe even spiritual health if we were being generous. You could feel the contaminated air seeping through my skin and fucking my heart, soul and mind. I was never good in these whole "social" shit. That's why I dropped PoliSci and not because I couldn't memorize the whole Article III word by word and fighting with the professor in why we need to memorize it when we have goddamn _notes_ and _google_ in the court.

Who the hell would have the right mind to possess me of all people?

I know I wouldn't posses myself but here we are, Karen.

"Why is she here?" Danzō piped up before his "friend" was about to continue. He gave me a rude look, probably insinuating the obvious "you killed one of my henchmen and I can't do anything about it but revenge kill" hanging in the air. I gulped, the sound probably echoing in the large room with ten or so people in it.

Now I _definitely_ know I wouldn't want to posses me.

"With all due respect, Honorable Elder," My mom began, bowing a low bow. Oh God mom, please don't. He'll take your eyes and put it in his arm if you're not careful. "But my daughter has every right to know what is about to happen to her mother right now. It would save a lot of time to explain it to her personally. She should stay."

What? What the hell does she mean by "what is about to happen to her mother right now"? Is she going to be martyred? Excommunicated? My thoughts thankfully stopped when Danzō with his raspy and cold voice answered her.

"…So?" Danzō (who was a fashion disaster to the highest degree says Tadashi) raised his only revealed eyebrow.

"Danzō, restrain yourself." Hiruzen sighed.

Oh my god, I shouldn't even be here. I just wanted a few spare change in my pockets by making babies sleep or maybe painting a house. Not this political bullshit that was way out of my clearance.

"You're an undergrad of Political Science. You should know what's going on." A voice in my head traitorously said.

I TRANSFERRED TO MUSIC AND MAJORED IN CONDUCTING!

Christ, I must be in deep shit if there are voices in my head now. I thought the textbook said late teens or early twenties is when the Shinobi mind degrades? This is too damn early.

"Shouldn't you be in school, girl?" Danzō said, not bothering to hide is glare. Hiashi's hand tensed on my shoulder as butterflies fluttered around anxiously. I see what he's doing. He's making me admit to them I graduated early and is team-less and Shishou/Sensei-less, making me nothing more than a waste of resource since graduating this early would automatically dub you as "prodigy" even if you had the Byakugan to assist you in throwing, taijutsu and your mother for chakra control which is needed in the basic academy three. In essence, he wants me to sign an oral petition form, making me check the box with the words "yes I want to kidnap you and brainwash you and I just need the Hokage's permission to do it because he is dumber than shit bricks."

"Danzō, I don't think Tokina's doings are your concerns." Hiashi, who was in level in political power with Danzō since he is a part of the prestigious Hyūga, crossed his arms. "If anything, her concerns are mine and Akane's alone."

Danzō growled at his foiled attempt to make me his personal war machine. He lowered himself as Hiruzen sighed tiredly. Poor guy, only wanting to do his job properly and protecting the village that was pushed on to him. If it wasn't for these power hungry shit head around poor Hiruzen...

The universe would be better off without Danzō's obsessions and schemes.

Maybe I could disguise a snake with subtle genjutsu. A King Cobra would do nicely; those had a lot of venom in them. I'm sure that Orochimaru doesn't sell his anti-venoms.

I had to legit think about it. That's how much I hated him. Not today. One day, but not today. Fighting Danzō needs careful planning and overpowered jutsu like the Sharingan and the Tailed Beasts. I also have the plan for the political whiplash and a whole mafia coming after me. I didn't need to but I wanted to therefore it's on my wish list, not like I would act on it. If I did, what prize do I get? Maybe I could get his elephant summon somehow. It would be a nice dream. There aren't many summoner-nins anyway. It would be an interesting concept.

"Going back to the topic at hand," Hiruzen regained his authority over everyone in the room with a simple _a-hem_. "We have all agreed to the terms of this meeting? Hyūga Akane will be the stand-in leader of the Yuki Clan, the actual clan leader will regain his status as clan leader when he is an able Shinobi who pledges his sworn alliegence to Konohagakure and all she stands for while Hyūga Hiashi shall oversee this meeting and allow that one of his clan members will lead another clan entirely?" My mom nodded tensely, giving me sideway glances

Woah, woah, woah! I wasn't informed of my mom being turned into a temporary clan leader! Now, this, Hiashi darling, is the shit you should mutter to me in that damned office of yours! They could be spies sent from Kiri for all we know! I don't want my mom to risk that kind of danger! Plus she's pregnant! Shouldn't the Hokage at least give her the _decency_ for a maternity leave?! Isn't that a goddamn _privilege_ in Konoha's half-assed constitution?!

"Do the Yuki Clan agree to be willingly be subjected to T&I and will be observed by ANBU who will be hidden in sight and Hyūga Akane's position as stand-in leader of your clan?" The group all tensed before nodding. Healthy and moderate levels of paranoia never killed anyone and the words "T&I" should strike fear into people's hearts alone. This was probably going to be just a _friendly debriefing_ with chains and killer-intent. If they were filled with paranoia, however…

Well, Hanzō the Lizard was a perfect example of that.

An incredibly attractive man with chocolate hair and light blue eyes whom I would have fawned over some other time if it wasn't for the whole "my mom can be stabbed in the back, literally speaking, while pregnant" situation nodded. "The Yuki Clan gladly accepts these terms. We only request to be treated equally and fairly as new citizens of this village. We vow to use our Ice-Release for Konoha and Konoha alone, protecting her ideals and dreams in the best of our ability." The new clan silently cheered and relished the fact they were not going to be persecuted by the fact that they can easily manipulate water and control the temperature of the air around them.

"And lastly, the Hyūga agree to give the new startup clan additional monetary funds?"

Hiashi nodded a little bit too sullenly. "We, of the Hyūga, will support this new "Yuki-Clan"."

"Any objections?" All the eyes silently went to Danzō's old and sneering face as he directed his vehemence to Hiashi. It seems they were arguing without me and _only_ using their eyes. It was a soundless battle and all I could think of was "Did they sell me to an underground sindicate?!" Thank god. he remained silent for full five seconds before Hiruzen spoke up.

"Very well, I welcome you to Konoha, Yuki Clan. May you serve her and care to all her needs as the Will of Fire guides us in this war." The new clan broke into relieved cheers. Mom smiled quietly at their happiness and excitement for escaping their original fate before she directed her gaze at me.

It was a sorrowful gaze.

I returned with a questioning look and a slight tilt to the side.

Hiashi's hand left my shoulder and he gave me a warning glance. He nodded to me before escorting the new clan to T&I and probably going to talk about politics or whatever these boys talk about. Hiashi must be the youngest clan leader around. Something must've happened to Hyūga Hitachi if this had to happen. No wonder he was so stressed and sullen at my "Byakugan activation ceremony" or whatever formal thing it's called. I watched him and the new clan walk away with smiles on their faces. Not Hiashi's though, he was all business.

I have never saw anyone look so forward to T&I.

The peanut gallery walked out of the room, each going our separate ways. I walked quickly, trying to run from the tenseness in the air like the plague. I needed a genjutsu to calm myself and Jyūken practice to vent for _something_ which I didn't know of. It was pretty unreasonable of me to think that my mom cheated on my dad when he probably sacrificed himself for her. I knew I should hear her side of the story first but me and my six-year-old body and twenty-seven-year-old mind couldn't think of anything _but_ that.

"Tokina-chan." My mother called, making my head snap back to her and stopping me in my tracks. She still had her black hair and beautiful and smooth face that didn't age a bit even though we didn't see each other in a year. A lot happened in this year, mom. I don't know what to say or how to react since it would only be met with awkward "how are you doings" and "what happened to dad?" I couldn't tell I was about to have an emotional breakdown or whatever else I should say to her. You don't _just_ say "I missed you so much!" when your dad/husband died in a mission while you were unreasonably pregnant. Was that a factor in this whole mess?

Oh god. This is going to be a whole lot of awkward. I looked into her sad eyes but as we walked outside, I couldn't help but stare at her bulging womb.

"I'm sorry, but..." I tried to think of a not-tactless way to say it but I couldn't think of any. She tilted her head slightly. Ah, so that's where I got it from. I instead, pointed my gaze at her bulging and dreadfully obvious elephant in the room known as her womb. "That _is_ dad's…right?"

She chocked.

"Of course!" She screeched like someone correcting his or her friend that one plus one is indeed two. She was probably feeling undignified at the fact that her daughter was accusing her for cheating. "Who else would it be?"

An invisible weight was lifted from my shoulders.

But that didn't excuse them from banging, though.

"On mission?"

She sighed. "I did not know I was pregnant when we went for Iwagakure. I guess we forgot to..." She waved her hand, not wanting to taint her innocent cinnamon roll of a daughter even though her cinnamon roll was asking _why, how_ and _where_.

What did you forget? take the birth control pills? Ever heard of condoms?

She huffed, her cool lost. That was a first. She grabbed my hand and silently led me to a random ramen shop in tense silence, her hand holding mine like the good old days. Except before, dad was holding my right and he was the one dragging us from place to place with a stupid (that he really tried to make it look charming which made him look like a cinnamon roll that could kill you in ten seconds) grin on his face. Something was obviously hanging in the air as we ordered a veggie stew for her and a beef cutlet bowl for me. I wasn't the type to begin social cues because, hey, still trying to be a functional human being.

And it seems she wasn't too.

Maybe we could have shared therapy for mother-daughter bonding time.

…That was a horrible joke and I should feel bad.

"So, why are you not in school, Tokina-chan?" She asked it as casually like regarding the weather, not answering my three questions. I pursed my lips and ate my noodles, agreeing to play whatever game this is. "Um...it's not like I'm breaking the rules, right?" I joked to lighten up the situation, which did not give the desired effect.

She took a sharp inhale and gave me a tightlipped smile. "Yes...right..."

Fuck, I made things worse.

Go me.

"I graduated early." I blurted out, not knowing what else to say. What else could you say that wouldn't result in a backlash to your parents? Why is dad dead? Why didn't you protect him? No! My mom just wanted to make up for lost time, both for her and her husband. The only thing you can give them, as a child, was good grades, love and nurturing.

But this is the Naruto world filled with child soldiers, so good grades was substituted for honor and more responsibilities.

Her head rose as her eyes widened and gleamed with pride and smug in the revelation that her daughter fit the shoe of "prodigy" even though she wasn't intending to. It was contagious. "I was the top two in the whole school. It turned out that they didn't have any elemental releases in the curriculum so..." I shrugged with a good natured smile. "I managed to pass the exam early."

Her smile widened. "That's wonderful!" She cheered. "I wish I could have been there to congratulate you. Your dad would have given you a new Yukata…" She said longingly as my eyes softened. Her hand fidgeted before her eyes regained the same cheer. "You know, I really don't think that I can disclose this information." She began, shifty eyed. I chuckled at my mom making an effort to look silly. "But there was this one time in Iwa..."

And that's how we broke the ice. Catching up with all the things we've missed in each other's lives. It was a pleasant experience, talking to my mom again. It wasn't _one of my moms_ , it was just _my mom_ because I have to move on from the past. I wasn't a graduate with a Bachelor's degree or a dog to take care of anymore. I restarted in square one, the only thing retaining is my memories which gave me my attitude. I shouldn't linger, I know, but one can't help to linger when you lost everything.

But that's why we'll just build everything back up again like a poor village being ravaged by a typhoon.

We humans are resilient.

And it just so happens I managed to have the qualities of _human being_.

We chuckled at the silly stories (Oh this one Yamanaka in my temporary team? His hair was so stupidly long it got caught in a branch!) and our really corny jokes. (How does every Shinobi joke start? By looking over your shoulder!) as we enjoyed in each other's presence and, as intended, making up for lost time.

We finished our food with all the tense atmosphere gone, replaced with longing and reminiscing. "So...is it a boy or a girl." She smirked and stroked her unborn baby lovingly. "Boy or girl, it won't matter. The name will be Tokuma." She said determinedly.

We stood up and walked back to our house which I have been taking good care of in these past months, butterflies fluttering around my mom curiously. "How will we make this work?" She tensed and gave me a sideways glance, raising an eyebrow.

"I mean this family." I motioned us- me, mom and Tokuma. "I'm a Branch Family of the Hyūga Clan, mom. You're the head of the Yuki. Where will Tokuma live?"

She hummed as she slid open the door to the Hyūga Compound.

"I don't think I can be a good mother to him if I'm always out and about, doing clan leader things, missions and hospital work." She said, obviously pained that she couldn't stay with her child. She stroked her womb as if making up for the years she won't be there for. She looked at me determinedly. "Tokina-chan,"

I tensed at her tone. "I want Tokuma to be happy and safe. I want him to know everything about your father and how he sacrificed everything so he could see me live." She sobbed out, tears streaming down hypocritically on her happy face. My throat dried as my eyes heat up. My lips trembled as she looked at me with pure determination. "I want you to be there for him. No matter what happens,"

I nodded, shamefully hesitant at my answer. New responsibilities were scary in this world but the least I could do for the woman who hadn't passed a day without thinking of little old me was to promise that her son and my new baby brother should be taken care of. "Of course, mom." Was all I said.

She nodded and chuckled. The pregnant woman wrapped her arms around me and held me in a tight embrace as I feel the bulge around her stomach.

* * *

His funeral came in a sunny fall morning, Hyūgas of all ages and ranks, The Yuki gazing at the inscription of the tomb stone, as me, mom, Rin and Obito were huddled in one group in front of the crowed.

Hyūga Tomokazu.

That name etched in the marble pillar made it all so real.

Like it finalized it,

I hated it.

No dramatic inner monologue of revenge or whatever. It was just pure resentment to the situation I was in. It was short and concise.

But of course I didn't voice out my thoughts. He deserves to be remembered as the man who protected his pregnant wife till the end. May Kiri wage a war on us; I'll never give up Tokuma or any of the Yuki Clan. They were the embodiment and proof of dad's work. He deserves to be written about in both of our clan's history. The man that rescued and united to very different clans.

I broke many promises in my past life.

I didn't want to break this.

One by one, they left until Seto, Hiashi, mom, Rin, Obito lingered. The Uchiha stared at the name like it would bring him back as Rin looked absolutely wrecked. Mom hugged herself as she stroked Tokuma (or Tokuma in the making) lovingly. "Don't worry, love. We'll take it from here." She muttered as she led us, the three children away to Hiashi and Seto.

Seto gave her a sad look as they both embraced each other, the man muttering apologies to her as she took it with a quiet 'thank you.'

Hiashi nodded. "Akane," The Hyūga clan greeted called my mom, the newly inaugurated and _temporary_ Yuki Clan leader. My mom gave the two non-Hyūgas (be it blood or name) a small smile.

"Rin-chan, Obito-kun, I will meet you in my house." Rin nodded and dragged the reluctant Obito (as a Naruto predecessor, he could probably sense intense emotions easily) away.

"Hiashi-sama," She bowed a low bow, opposed to the "get on your knees and put your forehead to the ground" bow that we Branchies do. "I thank you for agreeing to protect my daughter from Danzō." She raised her head and put her hand on my shoulder. "He has caused me grief over and over again. I thank you with the bottom of my heart."

Grief? Was my mom a former ROOT member?

That made me sad since it made _a lot_ of sense. Danzō was probably the type of person who wouldn't want his failure to be flaunted around so easily. They _probably_ made a deal without me, making my mom a scapegoat in exchange for my freedom. It was hard to see the first placer dance around with glittery gold medals while the second placer was stuck with the conciliation prize. Of course, this is all speculation. Danzō could have been my mom's ex for all I know.

That was probably worse…

He raised a hand. Seto shifted uncomfortably. "Its fine, Akane, I only wish the best for you and your family." The young and stern clan leader cracked a smile for my mom. My mom took it what it was. "Please continue to protect my daughter." She bowed once more before leaving. I felt like I wanted to chase after her before Hiashi stopped me.

"Tokina..." He gave me a gaze I couldn't decipher. What was that all about? I subconsciously tilted my head at him. "Hiashi-sama?" I questioned. He looked like he wanted to say something before he shook his head, all the while staring at the memorial stone.

"Go. Akane's waiting." I blinked at him. That's it? I bowed to Hiashi before running after my mom.

* * *

AN.

I think after this chapter, there won't be a lot of angst anymore.

She finally has a will to live you guys!

The first major change!

And she didn't even lift a finger!

whoop!

Also, the shinobi joke? I literally searched "racist japanese jokes" and decided to use that one even though I didn't know what it meant. Replace the shinobi to japanese and please explain it to me. Since I don't know what do write anymore I'll just end it with the Enjoy Life :)


	17. Chapter 17: Insert Witty Title Here :)

AN.

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays etc.

My comp keeps crashing and thank the lord for my sister lending me her laptop so I could edit this goddamn shit :))))

The winner of the poll is, surprise surprise, double post. I know that I'll post the other chapter BEFORE THIS YEAR ENDS but like I'm having technical difficulties so just wait you guys :D

WARNING: I'm pretty sure I made an epileptic seizure joke somewhere in here so please don't get triggered. To be fair, Y'all probably read all 16 chapters so you guys should be used to this :D

* * *

Tokuma was born the week when I was out on a C-Rank mission on the edge of the border alone. I found out when one of the Branch Members I grew close with told me the great news. Rin and Obito were waiting for me at the Yuki Clan's new compound since my mom _temporarily_ lived there. It wasn't my fault that I wasn't there when my mom's water broke! I mean, I—a ninja that specializes in support— am a very person that dutifully carries out her responsibilities and provides Konoha with income. But that thought didn't stop me from feeling guilty about not being there for my mom when she literally gave birth to the kid that she and dad was working hard on. That day, Rin and Obito waved at me happily, motioning me to come closer as mom gave me a soft look, holding a bundle of the embodiment of mom and dad's love, the sacrifices they made just to keep one another safe.

"Tokuma is a boy." She told her daughter who was two days late, happily. I smiled and made a dramatic sigh of relief.

"That's good. I couldn't imagine a girl named _Tokuma_ ," mom gave me a good-natured glare before handing me my new little brother. Since I was never the older one of my siblings nor did I ever become a mother or held one of my friend's babies since I was always scared that those fragile potato sacks could die if I drop them, I had to rely on the sparse baby-holding knowledge I had in my old Grade School days. His bright lilac eyes slowly blinked open and eyed me curiously.

Akinosuke landed on his forehead.

Guess what world? He's my potato sack now. The best, cutest and brightest potato sack in the world.

Even if Hyūga baby eyes are creepier than the Grudge herself.

His really bright eyes went to the monarch on his forehead. Like it was so bright, I could have sworn it was pure white if it wasn't for my general great Hyūga vision and having the Byakugan and Hyūga genetics meant that you are _not allowed_ to be colorblind, myopic, hyperopic or any kind of optical illness because that will bring you shame to the branch and Hyūga in general. You can see through solid objects and pinpoint the tenketsu points in your opponent's body but you can't even look at reds and greens without getting a headache? How utterly _blasphemous_. He made a few gurgles as his stubs tried to get the monarch that was cheekily fluttering around his face.

"I think he likes you, too, Kuma-kun." I whispered, quickly deciding on a pet name/brand for my special potato sack and rocked the baby in my arms. He was so cute, the little cinnamon rolls. He was the embodiment of cinnamon rolls. He _is_ the cinnamon roll incarnate.

He went cross eyed when the blue monarch landed on my baby-brother's nose.

Prompting a really high pitched sneeze,

We had a collective "Awwww..." moment. The girls in the room stared at young Obito who was trying to prove his masculinity by _not_ bathing in the warm sunlight that _is_ Hyūga Tokuma. He coughed, repressing the urge to coo the baby before muttering a low "Y-Yeah, that was _kind of_ adorable."

"It was, was it not?" My mom proudly puffed since Tokuma _did_ have her genetics.

Oh Tokuma, such a panty dropper. I hope he'll keep that sneeze till he's forty, even if he is a super serious Hyūga when he grows up. It'll make all the girls wild. He better have more fan girls than Itachi. If borderline white eyes are a turn off for them, then goddamn is Konoha filled with racist jerks. I used to be like that but then I found them pretty, almost beautiful even. They say the eye is the windows of one's soul then no wonder Uchihas have black eyes. With all the eye gouging they go through just so they don't go blind is silly. Therefore, that logic states that Hyūgas (and Tokuma especially) are pure souls that doesn't deserve hatred or harm in anyway possible.

The days continued on like that, me cooing about Tokuma in the Yuki Compound (the people there too shy to approach their savior's family like the plague), my mom being stressed as a nurse, temporary clan leader and teaching Rin to be an able medic-nin and Obito being Obito, probably helping old ladies everywhere in every way as he becomes the ideal person and Hokage he thinks of himself.

That was until the world told me to work for the peace and happiness once more.

With missions, a taijutsu lessons with combined with butterfly genjutsu, snake ninjutsu as well as becoming a babysitter sometimes, life was getting harder and harder. Rin and Obito still made efforts to check on me but because of our busy schedules and drastically different time frames (mine being sporadic as the movements of epileptic people being flash banged) we began seeing each other a little bit less now. I contemplated on my life's choices (both of them) as a month passed by and the day I was expecting till I was twelve reared its ugly head at poor unprepared me as I entered the Hokage's office. Hiruzen nodded a greeting as I bowed and was expecting another cat chase or a fence to be painted.

"I'm afraid I have no missions for you, Tokina-san." He said, not wasting time.

"Huh?" I reacted informally with a tilted head. What? Have I, Hyūga Tokina—cat chaser extraordinaire—completed all of Konoha's D-Rank missions? Impossible! Maito Dai mused be shaking in his boots. "Why is that Hokage-sama?" He chuckled at my _rude_ confusion.

"That is because you will be entering the Chunin exams this year. Hiashi-san gave me a report of your training since he _does_ supervise all the Hyūga. Orochimaru-kun gave me a seal of approval when I requested it to him using a messenger bird. Hiashi has full fate in you and Orochimaru expects you to graduate even before you get an official team."

What the hell are they talking about?! The Branch trainer was giving me remedial lessons which I did NOT ace at all while I tried with my snake (with actual snakes) style taijutsu. It is also noteworthy that I still haven't reduced the seals of World of Butterflies and the new genjutsu I made, inspired by Madoka Magica, didn't require any handseals but needed my full concentration to do. The best part is, they were both unfinished since I had to keep two summons in the battlefield. My butterflies were essential for the genjutsu but couldn't do anything to a person since _genjutsu does not kill_ and my snakes were the actual ones killing and doing harm to my victims since fragile old me has to be quick about going all in.

I blinked at him, my mind unable to process the whole _bitch you goin' to the bar exam without studying law_ situation I was in. "I cannot stand to see an able kunoichi such as yourself be confined in this village if you could be a great asset to Konoha's cause. With Sora-ku training you for months, I'm sure you can do it." Hiruzen nodded solemnly like he expected me to agree with him. "With Kiri suspecting something and our feud with Iwa, we need all the able nin we can get."

That was solid reasoning for a leader. I was a soldier with a famed dōjutsu, two summons, a taijutsu style that was feared in all nations and was thought by the mighty Orochimaru with a knack for genjutsu that could easily distract able jonin most of the time. Besides, infiltration wasn't that hard. Taizo literally make me do almost all the work.

I think the part they were missing is that, even though that all sounded good in paper that is literally just it. It was a nice looking resume. I was six years old! I don't have enough field experience, I couldn't use both of my summons to their full-extent, my taijutsu is half-assed and all Orochimaru gave me was his snakes, a camouflage technique and how to survive in the wilderness with killing intent all around. My chakra was also fucked up thanks to this whole _reincarnation_ thing so I couldn't even though a pitiful Fire Release: Fireball in the _Fire Country_ and did I mention that I'm a genjutsu specialist without the Sharinagan? That instantly made me canon-fodder.

Good to be me.

"H-Hokage-sama," I stuttered because, no I do not want to die because I have a baby brother who I selfishly made my lifeline. "I'm barely qualified!" I reasoned weakly as the man nodded. Shouldn't I have the _right_ to say no? Even if the man I'm trying to negotiate here is the equivalent of the almighty mayor since the useless fire daimyo was the president?

"Yet your work performance speaks of a chunin. No complaints with your temporary teams, very adjustable, professional and growing tremendously with power as well as being trained by one of the Sannin. If I didn't know I would guess you're aspiring to take this hat from me?" He chuckled humorously at his own little sick joke. You only got that hat because you wanted to _die_ old man. I have no dreams of handling over a thousand people and doing _reverse taxes._

Oh, honey, that is like, if the distance of the Sun to Uranus was multiplied with five was measured, it still wouldn't cover how far your guess was.

He gave me a date of my funeral and made me scrammed off.

I walked to the Yuki compound absentmindedly, all the while staring at the piece of paper, consciously checking if the veins around my eye were bulging due to how fast the gears in my head were turning and the stress I was putting myself.

I promised to enjoy life, work for a happy retirement and not kill myself.

* * *

The whole chunin-exam conflicts with promise number one and three.

Those months was buried with training, sweat, tears and embarrassment.

Lots and lots of embarrassment,

I usually train alone in Training Ground 6 because I couldn't stand the thought of the Yuki just _staring_ at me while I cast genjustsu on myself with snakes in the floor and butterflies in my head _literally_. Plus there was a perpetual supply of snow and ice where there should be green, reds and yellows. The Yuki where shy people who never really interacted with me, even if they looked like a house mom that liked to gossip a lot; whether it was my eyes or some strange respect for my mom, I didn't know. They didn't teach me anything so I didn't need to feel grateful for them. Konoha has the Ice-Release now. Whoop-dee-do. Hurry up and deploy them instead of watching them from afar, Hirzuen. If you're going to treat a resource like this, then just kill them already and save yourself the betrayal.

But don't make _me_ kill them.

That is not _my_ job.

My job was to live, not be some god-sent hero with some unknown dōjutsu.

…Right?

Right!

Therefore I should focus on my exams, genjutsu, taijutsu and summoning-jutsu so I can pass this hurdle because Hiashi and my mom would kill me if I ever tried to concede. Normally, I wouldn't care for the whole _Hyūga honor_ and _Hyūga destiny_ the clan with the white eyed monstrosities fed us Branch Members. But I had a baby brother now, which meant that I need to be responsible for him. I had to make sure that the "To" Branch would give this so-called honor to maybe give Tokuma the right education and funds to protect himself when he grows up.

I am such a good sister.

With the help of my mom, who was a really good doctor that conveniently specialized in chakra and neurology, she helped me with my chakra control and genjutsu theories. Since genjutsu was all about manipulating the opponent's chakra to make them see feel and smell things, it should _in theory_ be possible to overload the chakra system and the brain with stress from the genjutsu to cause them a seizure, stroke or even death.

Therefore, _in theory_ , genjutsu can, in fact, kill.

She also helped me with my whole chakra dilemma. Well, not really help. She took a look with her Byakugan, did some tests that I really didn't understand and said that my chakra _should_ be able to convert but there was this weird chakra that was being wrapped around the chakra that I should be able to use for fighting and normal body functions. It was almost like a chakra parasite that the Abumare Clan use except it was chakra with _no_ Yang and all Yin. My mom said that the chakra seems to be in a state where I can't tap into it like one of the civilians. She has never seen chakra like that before.

The word she used for it was "Out of this world."

So basically, reincarnation chakra is useless. It was probably because chakra in the rea-

…I'm sorry, chakra in the _old_ world didn't function like the chakra in the world I live in today. At least, that's what I understood from my mom's analysis. I couldn't use it but I still had it. If chakra was connected with the whole body then wouldn't it be safe to assume that my reincarnation chakra had my memories, personality and other things I carried over? I didn't know, I just knew that the reincarnation chakra inside me was the reason why the Hyūga keeps saying I have above-average chakra reserves when I'm feeding for two instead of one.

Whatever, it isn't going to kill me. I didn't need a fireball or some fancy magical do-hickey to save my ass. I was, and _am_ , a ninja. Ninja are supposed to be stealthy, manipulative and lurk in the shadows. Fireballs and earthquakes are not stealthy and cannot lurk in the shadows therefore they aren't ninja. They're just really fast magicians. I have snakes, illusions and the touch of death that I _know_ I can get better with. I just need the right teachers. Snake-shishou was out but I had the Tada-twins for that. Akinosuke, the saint, is helping me make a stable genjutsu and maybe even teach me how to add another layer on top of that with the help of chakra control which also boosted my Mystic Palm Technique anyway. What I really needed was a taijutsu instructor because my mom didn't use Jyūken all that much and was teaching her chakra scalpel technique to one Nohara Rin.

Whatever, I'm not jealous. Not one bit.

So I asked my uncle Seto, the man that sparred me to activate my Byakugan.

He nodded and was professional about it. I showed him my notes that I showed my dad once upon a time and he absorbed it like it was some lost, ancient tome that nobody but me knew. It was a Hiden taijutsu technique that only the Main Family knew about anyway so it wasn't a surprise. He understood the theory faster than me and executed half of it in a week. Me and my apathetic ass really didn't care for the so called _tradition_ since knowledge should be shared. It shouldn't be barred to the big men in the top. Seto used the Byakugan's ability to expel chakra from all tenketsu points to the extreme. He taught me the One Body Blow technique before moving on to the deadly 64.

He was also passionate about Jyūken and the Hyūga, even the whole patriarchy thing.

Let me emphasize that he was _very_ passionate about Jyūken,

"No, Tokina." My newfound uncle chastised a week in trying to get a successful 12. It was embarrassing for me since people kept shoving the whole _prodigy_ thing down my throat when they were dead wrong. "Blindly jabbing won't get you anywhere!" His gentle correcting became an intense scolding. "From afar it might seem that we are just rapidly jabbing blindly, hoping that the opponent just falls down to the ground but all of these are calculated! Now repeat from the top! But if you insist on making a mockery of our famed technique then you may leave."

I damn well wanted to leave but I knew that I couldn't. I needed to be good in the three things I knew how to do. Naruto only had summons, clones and the Rasengan and look what he managed to accomplish! If a blonde brat can do it then so can I!

I rolled my shoulders and caressed my abused fingers before hitting hard wood with red points that lit up blue when hit with chakra. Kind of like LED lights except for deadlier purposes. Fūinjutsu is an art that I will never understand nor learn. I inherited my father's chicken scratch even if he was some fūinjutsu expert. To be fair, scientists don't always speak like they were making an Investigatory Project. They're people, too so I shouldn't expect fūinjutsu masters to always write like their making a letter to the king.

But I didn't have the patience for it. Forgive me for lacking time when I have medic theory to read, genjutsu to perfect, summons to befriend and taijutsu techniques to learn.

I lowered my body and engaged the block of wood. "Jyūken," I muttered out of habit because according to Seto, it inspires the Hyūga to do better or something or other. I didn't know. He just forced this tradition onto me. The whole concept of shouting your moves was to inform your teammate but when if you're going to do it alone then that's just stupid.

I'm not in the anime world. I'm in a world with war and magic, even if that's hard to believe. This world required stealth and stealth isn't uttering every damn syllable of the technique you're going to do. They don't need to know that the Kamehameha or how it's pronounced.

"Eight Triagrams…" I sighed, doing a low stance in front of the training dummy with LED sticker-looking things that made me feel silly. "…16 palms,"

Seto nodded approvingly like the taijutsu nerd he was. "Begin."

I swear, if it wasn't for Tokuma's cute voice calling out my name before mom's (much to my two friend's amusement and my mom's annoyance.) I would begin doubting the whole "enjoy life" promise. He didn't _actually_ say my name but it was close enough for me!

"Twokwikwa!" His childish voice called out and reached for me from his cradle in the Hyūga compound after training. I felt sore all over and disgusting with sweat and wood chippings but I couldn't deny his hand when he reached over to me. I chuckled at him and carried my little brother directly after a shower from Hyūga affairs. If you translated that to understandable Japanese then it would be "Tokina!" and not some alien monster.

We began running around my apartment close to the Hyūga compound, abusing my ninja training to keep my feet silent as I mimicked an airplane in the middle of the night. He cheered loudly despite me making an effort not to wake the whole house. Mom was almost always late, arriving in the morning and leaving after an hour nap thanks to her responsibilities and her new position as a nurse in the hospital. I just took comfort in having her around and not in the field. I tried to keep myself quiet but Tokuma wasn't having it, screeching out whenever I barrel-rolled him. It was probably in vain thanks to his screaming and cheering but whatever, what are they going to do? Excommunicate us?

"Gwai Pwaine!" He repeated as I carried him higher, me snickering all the way. "That's right, Tokuma! Airplane!" I whispered to him.

You know? I think I wouldn't mind working hard to keep moments like this to myself. I think before, the world could damn itself twice and I wouldn't care at all about other people, only myself because it is my life and it is my second chance but then, with my baby brother in my hands, I realized how selfish that was. I knew it was selfish but I realized how inhumanely selfish it was. This might be my second but the people around me?

This was their first.

If I wasn't so adamant of keeping _my_ kill count low then I wouldn't mind doing an Itachi on my clan. If it was for this little bundle of joy in my hands then it would probably have been worth it.

It might be their first time around but if they knew they'd end up in a probably better place they would have thanked me if they had the chance. I would be doing them a favor. Of course, that is if it harmed my self-preservation instincts. I'd kidnap Tokuma and maybe my mom to leave this damned place to rot, starting anew in some quiet hill in the Land of Grass or something. I thought about that seriously for a second, contemplating how a six year old can do all that, convincing someone with a career to leave with her children to start again as a quiet, pacifist family.

"Would you want to live in a hill, Kuma-kun?" I lifted him up again as he did his cute 'whee' sound. I smiled at the kid, ignorant of my inner declaration of possessiveness and creepy ownership towards him as I willingly think of ways and strategies to kill more experience Jyūken users for him even though I wouldn't last a minute in a fight with all of Hyūga.

He blinked and pinched my nose. "I'll take that as a yes."

* * *

AN.

Yes. I don't know what to write so I'll just end it with a quote.

"Do you feel my boobs, hah, Dylan?"

It was from a Filipino novel which I was required to read but I don't need it anymore so enjoy that wise quote. It was Lila, something something Chapter 10 Page 210

ENJOY YOUR HOLIDAYS and Enjoy life :)

(to all those readers that read Lila, go to that page and chapter and look at the very bottom. I ain't making this shit up.)


	18. Chapter 18: The Bar Exam wo The Bar 1

AN.

 **I WAS GOING TO POST THIS YESTERDAY I SWEAR BUT FAT-BITCHION WOULDNT LET ME EDIT THIS IN DOC MANAGER. I AM NOT LYING BECAUSE:**

 **1.) I ASKED MY SIS IF SHE CAN UPLOAD A DOCX HERE AND SHE CAN'T AND**

 **2.) I HAVE THE MYSTICAL MAGICAL RESOURCE OF SCREENSHOTS**

Therefore, it is not my fault :')

I had a party on Monday so I couldn't post batshit and this chapter was absolutely _fun_ to write therefore I do not deserve your pitchforks!

But like y'all are nice in the holidays. Probably still drunk on wine and Christmas ham but whatever. Enjoy the pt. 2 of this double post.

WARNING...HOLIDAY SPIRIT

 **ALSO THE LOVELY COVERART WITH COLOR WAS MADE BY MY BEST FRIEND(ANDSNAKE) _Lynquine_**

The test was nothing noteworthy. Well, aside from the distinct smell of sweat, nervousness and fear. Unlike in the anime, the test was an _actual test_ which meant that you really do have to study and solve. We still had to cheat to get the answer, though but it was nice that my studying wasn't in vain. For the questions I couldn't answer, some random butterfly seemed to come through the window and rest its body against some of the smarter ones (Kakashi, for example) and another smaller butterfly would hide behind my ear.

Nobody expects the butterfly.

But of course, Kakashi did since I didn't trust anyone's answers except the prodigy himself. Since I was one of the first ones to leave, Kakashi being the actual _first_ , it was pretty easy to confront me and accuse me of cheating. The thing was, though, he didn't confront me about cheating. He just gave me a distasteful sideways glance before walking down the hallway with his hands in his pocket. I shrugged it off since it was a natural reaction for someone that wanted to be professional to a person that they disliked with a passion. He probably wasn't over the whole "hey, you wanna see your dead daddy?" thing in the genin exams. That was fair. I didn't need him as a friend even though he _was_ one of my favorite characters.

It was that day I realized that my favorite characters aren't that likable. Like, at all.

What I was more concerned with was the lacking of foreign ninja and teams. I knew the chunin exams should have had both and I thought being in the declining side of the war wouldn't change that as they would promote teamwork and stuff to make future cells to go in teams. This should have been the way Konoha promoted themselves to the other villages that aren't Iwagakure and maybe even Kirigakure.

It seems it didn't.

I could respect the Hokage's decision to do what he did and played safe, just in case the two villages decided to team up and kill the poor genin travelling across their country. I think that we could have had a chunin exam in Suna but with Kirigakure _openly announcing_ that they declared war on Konoha probably made the Hokage shake in his slippers. It seems that the Yuki Clan was more of a trouble than they were worth. Kiri didn't even do the whole "here is our terms for peace" shit despite it being a mandatory formality in war. The papers said that the new Mizukage was all about killing traitors and he wanted the Yuki to die with Konoha.

Now that Kiri actually _wanted_ to kill the Yuki (and probably killed the other Yuki Clan members that were left behind), my mom told me that their probation was devoid now and most of the members entered the academy.

Good for them.

The next part of the chunin exams wasn't all about teamwork unlike the anime. Konoha probably didn't have enough candidates and might even result in conscripting for civilians to become ninja but that wasn't my problem. It was all about individuality and if we can go to the mission independently, even without a given cell.

They gave us twenty two people who didn't chicken out individual scrolls with different colors. The proctor then informed us that these scrolls represent important documents, the scroll of Heaven and Earth. We need to get the scroll with the same band as ours. These two scrolls would therefore symbolize our competency in retrieving real life documents from the enemy and stealing said papers. It was a smart test but a test is still a test, and tests are a big headache if my two lives didn't stress those enough. It was obvious that it would be best if we got them without our opponents knowing, but if they do then we had to open the scroll at the same time so a proctor would ensure that we don't compromise each other for life because we still needed to have a fair fight.

I still didn't get the whole "ninja honor" thing. Aren't we supposed to be killers for hire? What's up with the "respect your opponent" and "give your opponent a fighting chance"?

When I asked that to Obito, I got a lengthy sermon from _him_ of all people. That told me that I shouldn't ask those questions to anybody.

I sat down in the waiting field, my red scroll of Earth in my hand. I covered my eyes, as if rubbing them, but in reality, I activated my Byakugan. I scanned the field to find the red scroll of Heaven's owner. He was a fourteen year old dude, short, blonde which was tied into a really small ponytail with an affinity for fire. I deactivated my eyes and sighed deeply. I checked my pouches and bag for everything I needed before running into the Forest of Death when it was time.

I began my strategizing as I ran around the dark and damp trees. Not really strategizing, more like making a simple flowchart. All of this depends on various dependent variables so I need this to be really adjustable. Okay, first of all, locate target. If sensor, wait till he sleeps, if not, trap him in a subtle genjutsu and steal his scroll. If found, quickly incapacitate with a chakra induced jab to the heart. Finish quickly and efficiently and make way for the tower in the middle. Watch out for pests and be on my merry way. My Byakugan specialized in seeing in dimly lit places and my general flexibility and X-ray vision made things all easier.

My snake contract also made me into a bona fide snake whisperer. And it didn't even use chakra! The Forest of Death had a lot of those giant serpents and whenever they approached me, I literally became Harry Potter and told them to leave me alone. They complied easily and their gigantic bodies slithered around the tree and left.

I probably could ride them if I wanted to but I needed to be subtle if I didn't want a "fair fight".

It was easy to fail the chunin exams and it could have been a viable option for me if it wasn't for both Hyūga Hiashi and Hyūga Hitachi (the former Clan leader) appearing in my compound when I was playing with my baby brother and told me that if I passed the chunin exams this early, they will _think about_ sponsoring Tokuma's whole ninja career. I was happy about that and I didn't want to fail but they were so mean and pressuring about it with the speech being "You are a Hyūga and you must bring this family honor, so you _must_ pass even if it kills you."

Meanwhile, Seto training me was as much as a Hyūga fanatic as those two combined. At the last day, the fucker crammed so much techniques and strategies that I could have sworn my fingers became numb after the spar. "Prove to those Main Family that the Branch Family can and will surpass them! In the name of Hyūga!" He shouted after slamming the center of my chakra after he successfully did all 32 palms while I could barely do 16 palms.

But Akinosuke, the angel, gave me all the niceties that those white eyed monsters didn't give me. He told me this after I successfully summoned two large snakes and a Labyrinth genjutsu without getting a headache that lasted for five minutes.

"Just survive and I'll be happy."

Yes.

The encouragement I needed.

I activated my Byakugan once more before going into the tedious processes of locating the blonde kid's chakra signature, a very distinct slow burning ember. The tracking bit of the exam was the difficulty one for me instead of the surviving in unknown territory. I had X-ray vision to see where to go and what to do after I go there. I didn't need a light thanks to the magical goggles that the cats gave me (the only good thing about the trip) and the butterfly seal on my fingertips that sped me up if there was a gargantuan tiger in the forest floor. It took two hours (counting the twenty five minute breaks I gave myself and my eyes) for me to find him loitering in one big tree with traps strewn around.

Well, camping is one way to do it. My stalking tendencies for chicken in Sora-ku helped me on this one when I needed to find an opening to get the scroll in jacket's inner pocket.

His back was against a tree and the scroll was in his jacket's inner pocket. He was tense and ready for anything.

Dammit, this might be harder than I thought.

The problem was his chakra actually _told me_ that he was ready for anything by the way it was quiet and still, like a snake about to spring. The fact that the scroll was in his jacket's inner pocket wasn't a good thing, either since that only left the options to either poison him (which he might be prepared for), incanpacitate him with snakes (which he probably was used to countering with all the giant species even _I_ wasn't familiar with) and genjutsu (the safest option).

I positioned myself so I could still see him, one of Akinosuke's butterflies being one with nature and resting on the bark above his head. He didn't even detect the slightly larger than average chakra signature the butterfly was giving. " _It should be safe_ ", I thought before I deactivated my Byakugan as another butterfly perched on my right shoulder.

"I will inform you when he sleeps. For now, take a break." He recommended which I gladly complied after hours and hours of running and climbing and tracking. Despite my exhaustion, the exam really wasn't so hard despite how much the anime and manga keeps telling us, just avoid the tigers, bigass snakes (Orochimaru is that you?!) and other monstrosities like plants with a butt-load of chakra that looked suspiciously poisonous and you'll be fine. Well, that was coming from a girl with X-Ray eyes and was friendly with snakes, so...

Eh, let bygones be bygones.

The teen didn't stand a chance at Akinsouke's Mangyekō Illusions: Restless Sleep. He'd probably stay there till he realizes it's a loop, approximately three to five minutes if one day was equivalent to thirty seconds real time. When he told me that this was the genjutsu that the old man trapped me with, I went headfirst into wanting to learn it. The butterfly king told me that it wasn't really a combat genjutsu that I couldn't use willy-nilly and that it required a steady amount of concentration and a lot of chakra (which I _have_ but didn't have access to like a shitty 32-bit computer) so we just focused on strengthening my Labyrinth genjutsu. I hastily disabled all the traps revealed with my birthright and stole his red Scroll of Heaven. I avoided the monstrosities and made a beeline for the tower without many problems afterwards.

Oh, Kakashi was the first one there, predictably.

"He smells like dogs..." The twins whispered that was small enough to wrap around my neck whispered since I summoned them to make sure that he wasn't tailing me. I tried to avert his attention even though that might be hard for my attention grabbing eyes and live shoelaces with a mutation wrapped around my neck.

"So…horrible?" I whispered,

"Yes, very repulsive. Dogs have a distinct scent of dirt, parasites, and excrement. Blood usually masks the smell effectively." Hisa hissed lowly, using her tongue to taste the air before doing a snake equivalent of a gag. "We should mask it, it has a horrible taste" she offered, being the more blood thirsty one. There wasn't any word to describe it, but it was just so _anime_ that the calm and collected one was more blood thirsty than the loud and vulgar one. The undertone was obvious that my personal summons wanted to kill him because of his repulsive scent that I couldn't pick up on.

Not unless he kills me first.

He snorted rudely at me when I body flickered with butterflies to enter the tower, directly next to the prodigy in front of the desk. I tilted my head at the silver haired, masked brat. He said nothing, not even commenting on my beautiful necklace, before walking away, continuing whatever he was doing before. I walked to the proctor and handed the two scrolls to him with a pleasant smile. He stared dumbfounded at the little girl of six, bright eyed with little or to dirt, tears or scars, handing him the a pair of scrolls with a cheeky yet polite smile.

"H-how?!" He asked urgently. I turned with a smile while my snakes coiled around my neck did the snake equivalent of a giggle which sounded really weird but they had their own habits. "Byakugan and knock-out genjutsu." I answered with an honest shrug. Oh, Byakugan, I'm so sorry for ever doubting you. You really are the best dōjutsu in Naruto. Well, no that was a lie. The Sharingan had the potential to slice mountains in half with ease and the Rinnegan can summon black holes like their nothing. It's fine, though. I got over having the inferior dōjutsu after multiple instances where having no X-ray vision could have killed me.

Heard a strange sound? If not, Byakugan, if you did, Byakugan. Sniffed a weird smell? If not, Byakugan, if you did, Byakuga. Feel weird? If not, pray to God that it wasn't a tape worm and if you did then your fucked because you probably stepped on the killer moss. That's how you deal with forest of death. Oh, and cat reflexes. Lots and lots of cat reflexes. Saved me from a lot of poisonous that I didn't see.

I walked to the infirmary to check if I had any diseases. The nurse was surprised before shaking her head and muttering a low "Kids these days." which made the Tada-twins snort before returning to Ryūchi Cave since the job was done. Those two were my personal "eyes-on-the-back-of-my-head no jutsu" since they were too small to do anything. While the nurse was checking for anything I might have gotten in that death hole of a forest, I couldn't help about the teen I stole from.

The poor kid though, waking up from whatever he was doing to find out that his scroll was gone at the last minute. I deserved a few underhanded victories, right?

We waited for two days, the twenty two arriving. Some smug, some heartbroken, some tired, some bloody but they all wouldn't receive special treatment if they came literally on the last day. One day break for resupplying then proceed with the part I will probably not succeed in.

The tournament,

"Hyūga Tokina and Yamada Taro, please come to the arena." The proctor called to us as the two other contestants were strolled away in stretchers. It was a pretty intense match with involving burning swords and piercing kunais. Like a shounen anime. I bit my lip in nervousness since the literally Hokage and other important figures were gazing down on us. I prepared my wits and body for this therefore I should be fine! If I follow my plan correctly then it wouldn't matter who fought against me, I should win.

Poor viewers who are potentially watching my life in some fucked up OVA of Naruto or something. Using genjutsu, psychology and sneakiness to win is probably the most boring fight you guys will ever see. You know, like a ninja and not some budget Saiyan. I'm looking at you, Jinchūrikis.

I jumped down on the arena, feeling curious eyes boring on my back because, surprise, six year old girlie trapped with probably fourteen year old muscular dude that could probably break me with one hit of that giant fist of his that was raising a speculative eyebrow before sneering.

"Are you really going to do this, girl? You can wait a few years." He arrogantly chided with some strange sexual innuendo hanging in the air. The proctor nodded and he waited for my response of banter instead of just starting the damn thing. My nerves were killing me despite my face being cold yet ever smiling so even if I did open my mouth a strange splutter in an unknown language would come out.

I continued to smile at him. He snorted and rolled his eyes before readying is stance as the proctor raised his hand. The whole crowd tensed in anticipation. Hidden away from their eyes, I readied three senbons that were masked in my oversized sleeves from my arm holster. So I play dirty? Sue me. The proctor eyed us carefully before lowering his hand. No snakes. I want to save that till I run out of cards.

"Begin."

I activated my Byakugan and threw the three senbon after half a second of deciding where to strike. They were for assessment, not for the killing blow because let's face it—ninja tools are honestly useless in the late game. I aimed for both of his eyes and the heart, the two primary targets when trying to kill someone with ninja tools. I need to see if I can incapacitate him quickly enough. If he can dodge this then I may need to speed things up a bit. A Mangyekō Illusion then just jab my fingers were it hurts should easily do the trick even if he was fifty percent muscle.

He narrowly escaped the volley, his exposed shoulder bleeding slightly from the graze. He was slow for a ninja. He looked unfazed, though. We could conclude that he was durable and slow, like a tank. Taro did look like a tank though. He ran to me with a promise of a punch. I ducked under it and slid under his arm and threw more of the needles. The way his chakra was gathering in his feet made me assume that he was going to _try_ and kick me.

I was right.

Thank you, mom, for teaching me how to read chakra.

I sidestepped his kick and delivered a Jyūken jab to his bicep. He all but smiled when it hit.

"So that's the famed Jyūken of the Hyūga? You really should have just forfeited, girl." He snarked before giving me a nice punch to the cheek which sent me flying,

Fuck, please tell me that I didn't lose any teeth.

I want a boyfriend before the age of thirty.

I maneuvered in the air to prevent myself from landing butt first in the cold cement. I whipped the blood off with my sleeve and glared at the laughing teen. He underestimates me, so that's a plus. If I abuse my speed training from the cats and the Hyūga then I could end this with a jab from the heart, not even needing my snakes which only had only a few moments of field experience. But if he breaks my hand by catching them mid-air it'll be all over. Incapacitating him with genjutsu would be difficult and a battle of endurance was definitely out of the picture. His chakra control sucked, though, by how sporadic it was and how much he was wasting it by passively channeling his chakra into his fist. But maybe...

Well, that would probably work. Just make him underestimate me even more and purposely reveal myself.

He stepped forward and charged for a punch, his foot creating a small crater.

Strong,

Very strong,

Didn't end me in one punch, though, so that's something I was thankful for. He could've if he hit me in the chin, square in my face or stomach but that was his loss.

Step one: Make him believe he was the boss.

I ran to him, senbons in my right and a palm in my left. He dodged the volley of needles and endured the Jyūken barrage I sent to his left arm. Even if he tanked it, enough sealed chakra points would have made him lose his feeling in this left arm all together. He seemed to realize what the hell Jyūken was so he sidestepped the final jab that could have cut the chakra flow from his upper arm to his forearm, making his hand useless. He channeled a lot of chakra into his fist and he smirked as he felt his fist collide with my stomach. Or so he thought, the clone turned into a kaleidoscope of multi-colored butterflies that were harmless. He flailed the butterflies away violently in irritation.

Step two: Get him on guard.

"What the hell?!" His epitome a misogynistic male voice shot through in alarm. I revealed myself, in a fair distance, making a show of preparing my Mangyekō Illusion: World of Butterflies, him letting me stand still while I do that. He seemed to regain his senses and surprisingly did a jutsu of his own that was quicker than my own hand seals since, to be fair, I was doing a dramatic twelve hand seal jutsu.

"Earth Release: Mud Wave!"

The ground shook and did motions unnatural in my world. It was too smooth for an earthquake. I rolled my eyes and ran to the wall of the arena and ran around, continuing my seals as he threw kunai in my trail. Wall walking should be a topic in the academy. Thank god for Orochimaru being a good teacher at least even if he was bloodthirsty. He seemed to realize that he was wasting his chakra by continuing his Earth Release jutsu and so he stopped. He threw more kunai at me, trying to stop my _slow_ and _dramatic_ jutsu.

The ground stopped shaking as I took to the floor again, about to finish my genjutsu while butterflies speedily fluttered out of my sleeves and surrounded the whole building like it was a forest. He kept his eyes on me while I ran to him, shouting. "My ultimate genjutsu, Mangyekō Illusions: World of Butterflies!" I screamed, hyped as I landed directly in front of his wide eyes. The butterflies spun around the stage and made a multitude of colors, promising nothing but death and a loss.

He flinched.

I smirked.

"Sucker," I muttered as I jabbed my chakra infused index and middle hard on his heart, enough to stop it for a few seconds for his blood to stop pumping for a while. It wasn't the heart stopping that made him unconscious but the sudden shock of the overload of chakra in the point near the actual organ. The muscular man gasped as my fingers connected and spit out blood despite me just _gently_ jabbing him. He clenched his heart and fell before me. The butterflies stopped being so dramatic and flew back into my sleeves.

I tried my best not to snicker at the man's unconscious drooling face of shock and disbelief.

There was a collective and shocked silence because, surprise, nobody taught of making someone think of you making a super cool jutsu before stabbing them in their chest?

It's called a _feint_ people. Stop expecting a ninja to make a laser that would kill them instantly.

The proctor snorted at the cheek and waited five seconds for the guy to get up. "Hyūga Tokina wins." He announced as I deactivated my Byakugan.

Please, do continue to underestimate me. I'm serious, that was a dangerous factor to my plan. It was an obvious dependent variable that probably wouldn't be the next opponents mistake.

AN.

This isn't a cliff hanger right? My friend keeps telling me that I end my chapters in cliffhangers when I really don't mean too. Besides, I'm going to post another one this Sunday anyway.

Literally just checked my calendar after writing the above, realizes Sunday is actually new years.

wELL,

Thank you for all the kind reviews! Really made my holiday better after the shit I've been through in this goddamn December. If y'all don't mind I wouldn't mind having...more. Enjoy life. :)

ANIME RECCOMENDATIONS PLEASE (Specifically the serious kind,)

I've literally been watching joke anime like _Tsure x dure_ _children_ and _Net-juu no susume_ and _Kiss him, not me_. I know, I know, but Debby you _like_ romantic comedies

I WANNA WATCH REAL SHIT. I tried _Bakemonogatari_ or more like trying since it's such a headache to watch. Currently in Ep. 6 and I feel like I wanna drop it. I'm an avid fan of _Madoka Magica_ and know these kinds of anime takes time but hory shitu it is literally a headache to watch. It's that intense.

SO PM ME SERIOUS ANIME.


	19. Chapter 19: The Bar Exam wo The Bar 2

AN.

 **THOUGHT THAT I WOULDN'T POST IN NEWYEAR'S EVE?**

 **SURPRISE BITCHES**

 **I EXCEED ALL EXPECTATIONS.**

 **LIKE HOW LOW MY GRADES ARE PROBABLY GOING TO BE!**

I'm just kidding! (but not really)

WARNING: well...this has a lot of fights. Not that much dialogue. Honestly, I think you can skip this chapter without missing anything but I still would appreciate if you read this. OH AND SHIPPUDEN SPOILERS. Nothing major though.

* * *

The nurse healed my wounds with quiet a professional air around him. The infirmary in the middle of The Forest Of Death didn't quite instill the whole value of making your patients relax with its metal walls and floor, not to mention the sorry excuse of beds they had. Sure, it was in the middle of a forest but this forest was used for the goddamn _chunin_ exams were bleeding is almost a hundred percent certainty.

"You should be good to go," He didn't offer me a smile, instead moving to another chunin-aspirant in the bed, groaning and moaning.

"Thank you," I muttered under my breath, quiet enough for him to not hear against the cries of disappointment in the air.

When the rush of adrenaline was over, you couldn't help but think tha—if you take a look around—the higher ups are treating us like animals. Well, the whole "fight for your life for a _maybe_ pay raise with _certain_ harder jobs and responsibility" thing wasn't fair in the first place. I sighed as a sauntered to the seats next to nobody in particular. It was a very private preliminary match with a lot of chunin.

But I'm sure that my win was a ticket for me to be a shoe-in in the finals.

Or so I thought.

It wasn't the "one fight, one ticket" thing the anime showed us. It was a "winner-winner, loser-die" kind of system.

And I had to fight against another winner.

These kinds of situations are why I killed myself in the first place.

Oops, no more jokes about suicide.

Even if I am licensed to used them without anybody getting offended,

"Hyūga Tokina vs Abe Eiji," The proctor announced after a gruesome match involving too many cuts, poisons and a whole lot of tears. I raised an eyebrow at the familiar blonde whose hair was tied in a really small ponytail. His whole face which I thought was really good looking quickly contorted with an arrogant sneer. "Hmph, that sorry excuse of a genin lost to _you_?" I won't make the same mistake, girl. You're not so tough." His narcissistic voice decided quickly, _making the same mistake the other guy made_.

Thank _God_ ,

He didn't know I stole the scroll? It was a shame that in the Naruto world, the more evil you are, the more handsome or pretty you could be. Just look at Sasuke, the bitch was a major dick and he has hoes and THOTs just bending over for him. " _Shame,"_ I thought disappointedly before readying senbons for my assessment of skills hidden in my sleeves. More people should really invest in sleeves with pockets. It's saving me a lot of time. The dude prepared a handseal and we waited for the proctor for the signal.

It was safe to assume that the Ninjutsu specialist. And if I remembered correctly, he had an affinity for Fire Release. If only I had Water Release, right? Stupid reincarnation chakra, crippling me so I couldn't do the rest of the cool shit these ninja-magicians do. I could try breaking his psyche with genjutsu but he _is_ a ninjutsu specialist and that kind of specialty needs a lot of chakra and chakra control which are two essential things you need to break through a genjutsu.

Unless you have hax Sharingan, of course.

I thought of all possible plans rapidly in my brain while I spun the senbon around in between my fingers. Approach with taijutsu maybe? Need for assessment. All depends on his speed. Magicia…I'm sorry, _ninjutsu specialists_ usually underestimate taijutsu as a branch of jutsu as a whole, the more confident ones don't even exercise to build muscle mass, anyway and it seems he's _way_ over the line in the confidence bar. Wether he was slow or fast, I need him to stop moving so I could land my hits without too much trouble,

"Begin!"

 _Byakugan_!

He rapidly finished hand seals and blew a Fireball Jutsu before I could throw my senbons. I rolled to the side quickly, throwing the needles straight to his heart. He whipped out a kunai from his holster and deflected it with a self-satisfied smirk that made me want to punch his face in. He twirled it around his finger playfully before throwing it at me. I dodged it and threw more of the needles at him, making him dodge like it was some minor inconvenience.

Well, ninja tools _are_ just that in the late-game. Just look at Ten-Ten, got the ninja tools of all ninja tools and didn't contribute much to the War Arc.

But this isn't the late game.

I threw another of the metal needles up in the air as a distraction, his eyes trailing it. I readied another senbon and channeled chakra in my butterfly seal, making my movements quicker and lighter. I ran up to him with insane speed, forcefully trying to prevent my left hand from flinching as I dug the senbon into his right knee. If there was anything that Orochimaru taught me, it was that you should _never ever_ look away from your opponent.

…Unless he has the hax Sharingan because that spells death.

I tried continuing it with a valley of Jyūken jabs but he drew a kunai and made grunts while he tried to cut my head off. I distanced myself with back-flips that really didn't take that much energy off of me because _chakra_ and assessed the situation.

He has a fast upper body but he really seems like a newbie, even compared to me. I couldn't help but thank Orochimaru for this.

Guess you shouldn't judge a person for their future actions.

Even if they are a soon-to-be-pedophile,

He glared at me and went on one knee; he clenched the metal on his right knee and pulled it out, throwing it on the floor. I blinked at the display while he looked at me with all the venom he could muster. Damn, that was hardcore. Wasting no time, I engaged, aiming for his heart with my empowered Jyūken jabs. He got the dirty senbon with his blood from the floor and dodged my strike as he rolled to the side. He grabbed my arm quickly and just _stabbed_ the needle into me without a clear aim. I bit my lip to repress a scream and kicked him away.

That. _Hurt._

He smirked before trying to blindly stab me with it, making a disgusting war cry all the way with another kunai. His attack landed, only for me to seemingly turn into butterflies. I distanced myself from him and, with a trembling hand because and a not-so steady mind that kept on repeating _I have a metal needle that had his blood in my arm, I have a metal needle that had his blood in my arm_ , I made like a band-aid and did it quick and painless.

"Oh sweet mother of mercy," I grumbled, dropping the senbon.

What was surprising is that he didn't even use this time to engage.

"What's the matter? Lost your cool?" He tilted his head with a hideous smile. I gave him a blank stare, not bothering to look ferocious because honestly, how can a six year old that _isn't_ dead be scary, especially if she was wearing an oversized kimono shirt even if she had bulging white eyes. I'd probably pet her head and tell her how cute she looked. I didn't engage in banter because, let's be honest, how do you _even_ banter? Are you supposed to say something cool? Address your opponent's skill?

Honey, we are trying to kill each other. Why are you asking me to sit down with you, talk about your problems and—Oh yes, I would like sugar with my tea. I must say, your blonde hair really brings out the color of your eyes!

Yeah…not in this economy. Sorry, hun, the best I could give you is my longest finger and I need to keep up appearances for my brother.

I instead repressed my urge to summon a knot of snakes for him to shut his trap by giving him a polite smile and a silent Jyūken stance. He scoffed, muttering what I suspected a "Try-hard," before doing hand seals. His chakra burned into a furious blaze and collected in his stomach. It was a Fireball jutsu again. I dashed, my palms emanating chakra from the fingertips. He blew out the fire he was building up. I closed my eyes to protect it from the heat, the Byakugan allowing me to see through my eyelids anyway, and rushed to the shocked blonde. I threw his arms open, his torso revealed for the tenketsu point plucking. I channeled my chakra and tried to seal his heart again, only to be grabbed by the taller guy's left hand. I tutted in irritation,

"It won't be that easy!" He declared before kneeing my stomach with chakra-induced force. I winced in pain.

Apparently so, fire dude.

Using my already low position, I did a sweep kick; he dodged even with his kneecaps bleeding slowly from the stab I gave him. I have to admit, that was still pretty badass. I jumped away as he prepared three kunai and threw it at me. Using my Byakugan, I knew his hand was already on his kunai holster as I drew a senbon to deflect the incoming volley before he could even throw it. I returned the gift of metal and steel with a senbon aiming for his right eye, he rolled to the left and threw another kunai.

My feet touched the ground and I Vacuum Palm'ed the kunai, and him, away. The wind was instantly pushed at the sheer speed of the hit; my opponent collided with the wall. Despite all my effort _not to,_ my body just wasn't having it right now. Muscle memory made him throw a Hidden Shadow Snake Hands at my opposite arm, my eyes narrowed at the mistake. My fingers flinched against their body while I contemplated whether to retract it or not.

Welp. Fuck me.

Having my snakes out was probably like whipping out your dick in public and expecting _nobody_ to just _not_ notice it. Both are a mistake anyway, and the latter was just gross and against the law.

The boas I summoned hissed as they streaked through the air, wrapping themselves around the blonde. I heaved and pulled forward, Eiji's eyes went wide with shock as the thick serpents delivered him to me .

An empowered jab to the heart with serpents keeping him still and he was done for the count.

I took a deep breath. "I did it..." I grumbled with a huff, exhaustion taking over me making my knees buck forward as the snakes calmly uncoiled themselves from the older kid's body and back into my arm while all I thought was "that _must_ have looked at least _slightly_ badass."

The crowd (who was still not used to six year olds steam rolling the competition, a Hyūga and a prodigy Hatake) stared at me wide eyed as Hiashi gave me a proud smirk, my mom not allowed to watch. The boas nipped me affectionately being all like "We did all the work fuck you." before slithering back into my sleeves. I wiped the sweat of my forehead.

"Hyūga Tokina wins."

* * *

We were given a month, like in the anime, to prepare for the second batch of fighting; this time, in the public arena since the chunin exams weeded out the not-so-badass fighters from the badassess…and me. Since I showed my snakes in the last round when I was doing so damn well, I decided that I should work with those because they already knew my proficiency in taijutsu and genjutsu thanks to those meat bags. What I really should be doing was training in all the jutsu I knew, which was two butterfly genjutsu, a Vacuum Palm and the 16 Palms, a Mystic Palm and Hidden Shadow Snake Hands. That was literally my jutsu repotoire and I should really work on learning more since I had all these memories with people using other jutsu and explaining the theory in the same fight they were used.

Fucking exposition in fights, how the hell does that work?

What doesn't take a lot of effort compared to writing jutsu?

Teaching your baby brother how to speak properly.

"Tookeeraa!"

"Tokina. To-ki-na."

Tokuma blinked at me adorably, his head tilting to the side slightly (it was a hereditary trait!) he stumbled on the tatami mat of the Yuki compound despite being in all fours. I snorted as he raised his hands as he lied on his back. I was supposed to work with my medical-ninjutsu that I have been ignoring (fuck chakra conversion) with my mom and Rin but I took a short break. "Tookeera! Ewpwaine! Ewpwaine!" The small cinnamon roll demanded of the monster.

"Tickle?" I grinned at him devilishly, readying my claws. He shrieked and flailed under my fingers like it could potentially be the touch of death. Don't worry, Tokuma! It's only the touch of death if I put chakra in it.

"No twcikle!" He glared at me and shook his head and crossed his arms, much like how Rin would do if she saw something Obito was doing that uttered her mother side."Ewpwaine!" He nods, with the serious expression that I really cannot take seriously. Oh my lord, he is so cute it hurts. Why wasn't I cute as a baby? That wasn't fair at all. He had all the traits of a panty dropper, soft mocha hair, fair skin and a sneeze that would literally give you life. It wasn't fair.

Unless he grows up to be a sexist Hyūga. Oooh, I can't have that.

"Don't ever objectify women, Kuma-kun. You might be cute but arrogance isn't attractive." I scolded the kid despite him not understanding a word of what I said. He tilted his head before raising his hands again. "Ewpwaine! Ewpwaine!" He demanded. Whoops, I think I spoiled him too much. I'm a bad older sister. His cheers spoke otherwise and it broke through the pleasant afternoon. I raised him up in the air despite my aching everything since medical-ninjutsu after taijutsu training really left a person winded. I winced but continued making him fly through the air like a magnificent creature of sky.

"Whee!"

"Whee!"

"Tokina-chan, your break is up." Rin called from the clan leader's room with a pleasant tone that didn't fit a normal six year old. It sounded more professional than what I hear from most adults.

"Aw!" was Tokuma's reaction when I set him down.

"Aw..." was the sound I made when he gave me a pouty look that melted my heart. I wanted to say to the brunette that I was busy but I guess that I shouldn't get rusty with medical-ninjutsu. Tokuma in all fours watched me go with wide and sad and adorably heart wrenching light lilac eyes. His lips trembled as did my heartstrings. The effect he had on me was absolutely unfair. I pouted at him before running up to him and picked him up, the two month baby flailing happily all the way. "Whee!" He chuckled.

"Tokina-chan..." Rin's inhumane and cold voice that continued giving me the worst shivers down my spine warned me. She gets so scary when she feels impatient. Whoops, I'm pushing it. I set my brother down carefully not looking at his eyes that I could have sworn could do a genjutsu stronger than the sharingan and ran back to my impatient friend. I rushed to my mother who was sitting in front of a fish that was on top of a scroll.

She sighed exasperatedly as I hastily sat down in front of her. "Sorry! I was busy." I apologized without meaning. You get used to it the fifth time you utter a white lie to your parents. Rin shook her head in displeasure soundlessly while my mom took a deep and calming sigh before becoming professional again. She gave me books about medical theorem and procedures she got out of thin air. Me and Rin soundlessly read through them, me trying to absorb the information.

This isn't that bad.

I activated my Byakugan at reflex when I saw more papers coming in "We have a lot to cover before your chunin exams, dear." She smiled at my obvious displeasure and laughed when she took notice of my Byakugan. I sighed and from my near 360 degree vision, I saw how Tokuma toddled near the door. Well, if it was for him then...

Okay. Medical-ninjutsu! Let's go!

* * *

"YOU CAN DO IT VEGETABLE-CHAN!" My ears focused on a very distinct boyish voice in the arena of cheering people of the village. The chunin exams. The way of flaunting how good your village is compared to the others but right now, since everyone is tense with war, it was a trick to boost everyone's morale and hopes for the future soldiers of the leaf. And I and some other dude with brown, shaggy hair and a confident, lopsided smirk holding a real katana at his back like it held no weight was at the center in it. My thoughts? I'm going to die and embarrass myself in front of the whole village.

"I'm going to die." I whispered to no one in particular.

"That'll be a sight to see." Tadashi who was giving me pointers before I voiced out my distress snickered before poofing out of existence.

Shit the fuck up shoe-lace, nobody asked for your input.

Akinosuke fluttered encouragingly next to me. "Show them that your efforts bore into fruition."

I knew that month wasn't wasted. It was _just_ a month but I'm sure that it wasn't all that useless. My genjutsu is more stable than ever, and my chakra control was still sharper than most blades, I think. I couldn't do the 16 palms just yet but I got better in my arm coordination so that had to amount to something. Training with my mom shaved a full two seconds out of my reincarnation-to-medical chakra so that was a plus. The snakes were still compliant and my wits are ready for almost anything.

So what did that amount to?

I'm going to die and embarrass myself in front of the whole village.

I tightened my bun with two strands of hair that kept escaping with my hair with a senbon just in case I needed an impromptu weapon. Since I was nervous and fidgety, I dusted off my kimono-shirt and hakama and loosened the obi my mom made me wear. It was a tradition for the Hyūga Branch females to fight in oriental clothes because it exercises balance. At least, that was the reason my mom gave me. It _was_ comfortable, I'll give them that but you will _not_ see me wearing a French maid outfit into battle.

I kid you not, that was one of the other choices.

Perverted old geezers.

I gave a nod to the black haired teen with a cheerful desposition and a katana on his back. He was a kenjutsu specialist, then? My hopes instantly died when my eyes rested on his sword. Shit! I didn't know how to fight against a person with a legitimate weapon! You can't just expect your chakra encased fingers to block sharp steel! I gave him a smile which he probably took for friendliness since his own widened. I smile when I'm happy, sad, and angry. If I frown too much, and I _know_ that I will frown, I'll get wrinkles and I do not want wrinkles.

No! Don't think about your vanity or the fact that he was a blade that can cut your fingers with ease!

…You goddamn idiot.

"The match between Fuji Chiko and Hyūga Tokina…"

I jumped at the sudden loud voice which broke the dam that couldn't hold my nervousness and stage fright for too long. I pursed my lips while I quickly sort through my thoughts.

Wait where the fuck did he come from?! Fuck I'm panicking why am I panicking! Okay, Tokina. Calm. Calm. Calm!

"…Begins now!" The proctor who appeared out of nowhere now disappeared and the relaxed kenjutsu specialist engaged, his sword still sheathed for his laijutsu, his smirk still in place. I began channeling my chakra for my butterfly speed and weight and activated my Byakugan. I need to finish this before I run out of my own chakra because of Hatake Fucking Kakashi is next up if I plan to win this. I dodged his wicked fast slash and side stepped the next. I drew a senbon and using every tenketsu point to boost my force, rivaled his katana in terms of power. Thank you, Seto! The two metals grinded as the users stopped in a halt.

"Wow you're strong." He complimented casually, as if asking about the weather to a person in a marketplace. The utter audacity of the kid! His brown eyes gleamed as he added chakra to the sword. I narrowed my eyes, because what response were you suppose to give when a supposed nine year old introduce himself in the fucking arena as he tried to slice your head open?!

"I like your eyes. Is it natural? I heard all the Hyūga have those eyes, is that true?" The chatty kid gazed into mine. I gave him a forced smile and backed off quickly, avoiding the slash that was meant for my head. He scratched his head like a teenager thinking what he did wrong to anger his friend as he returned his sword to its sheath again like we _aren't_ trying to kill each other.

This Shounen anime bullshit,

Since I wasn't a Haku and couldn't do the Thousand Needles of Death (My mom is the leader of the Yuki Clan and wasn't Yuki?! Oh how I wish that I had the Ice-Release Kekkai Genkai sometimes), I favored a quick substitution with butterflies when he jumped to me with his sword gleaming to disengage, the sword meeting soil as my senbon I was holding dropped uselessly to the ground, butterflies fluttering the air. I heard him gasp in shock but immediately rebounded. He sheathed his sword and was on the defensive, me invisible in camouflage.

I began the twelve hand seals for the Mangyekō Illusions: World of Butterflies, as well as maintaining the camouflage jutsu and cutting the speed boost to focus on the multi-tasking. I focused on him and moved about the field as I began my weaving. He shifted and slightly showed his blade, his ear twitched.

Possible sensor type? I narrowed my eyes and began to move around the arena. Mind you, I was as fast as my two handed seals since I practice my one the seals out of sheer habit and boredom, like what I did with a certain French girl's ten hit combo in Tekken 6. I was pretty confident in my speed of weaving seals, and the Mangyekō Illusions: World of Butterflies only took me about three seconds to weave which was a big improvement compared to last year's seven seconds.

So imagine my surprise when I was forced to block with another senbon when a katana suddenly thrust at my direction. Like, so fast that I saw it with my Byakugan but I couldn't exactly react to it because _I didn't have the fucking Sharingan_. The feeling of seeing a glass hurdle from the desk to the floor and shattering a million pieces and all you could think of is " _oh_ ", the realization of a glass fucking breaking not dawning to you after two seconds. It was kind of like that. His confident smirk grew and directed his katana to throw my senbon away.

Shit!

With my torso wide open, he prepared to thrust his blade into me, me being perfectly visible thanks to the sudden shock that broke my concentration in the camouflage jutsu. Without thinking, I ducked away and relied on muscle memory. I tried doing a sweep kick but Chiko high jumped away, sheathing his sword in the process. With my tactic of delivering a one hit KO with genjutsu out of the picture, and close combat with a weapon not an option (I'm not strong enough to coat my arms in chakra to deflect metal, not something you could learn in a month) I focused on the little mid ranged jutsu I knew.

Which was Vacuum Palm (which was really wide) and Hidden Shadow Snake Hands (which could miss and leave me out in the open since my arms aren't free.)

...

Spamming Vacuum Palm it is then.

Using chakra to make my hits fast enough to make a vacuum shell, I jabbed the air with my palm in his direction, aiming to disarm him. His eyes widened and blocked the sudden strong and concentrated gust of air and force. I stepped forward and mimicked standard Hyūga Jyūken but only with Vacuum Palms, a technique that was mandatory for Seto's curriculum. It was a little bit sloppy but I made do.

"You don't play around, don'tcha?" He playfully taunted behind his sword that was shielding him from the worst of the blasts.

Not falling for that, cheeky brat.

I continued my relentless assault to disarm him. His stance was firm against the concentrated force of the hits, his chakra concentrated on his hands and feet to keep him steady, so aiming for his legs was a no go.

Also, my arms and hands were understandably getting tired.

Fuck me.

He used the sudden one second gap that I allowed to rest my stressed arms and rolled away from the second one as he body flickered in front in of me with his own self satisfied grin. He raised his sword and slashed. I managed to dodge, the blade meeting the stray cloth that it hit, ripping my sleeve open.

That was expensive!

I bit my cheek and assessed the situation, drawing senbon and throwing the needles to keep him occupied. Mid range was not an option. He has a sharp object, making close range unviable and absolutely dangerous. He had good ears and was probably a sensor to detect me weaving seals while maintaining invisibility.

Where was he in the anime?!

He was possibly faster than me and could take hits. He's only using chakra to strengthen himself but ninjutsu wasn't out of the question. I dodged his flurry of slashes with a senbon at hand just in case. I sidestepped and rolled all the way, wincing at the inevitable graze of his blade and cuts that managed to hit me all the while keeping his obnoxious grin. I needed some kind of opening that he wouldn't expect. Not a jump-scare genjutsu that he could shrug off but actual, sudden pain.

Like a really fast projectile.

I wracked my thoughts for anything that could work while I ran around the center of the field, keeping distance from the kenjutsu specialist while blocking his banter and taunts.

He was so obnoxious.

I didn't have any elemental transformations but was a Vaccum Palm which was kind of like a Wind Release, but taijutsu.

…could that work?

Let's find out!

I quickly drew a senbon and threw it in the air, the kenjutsu specialist not sparing it any thought. I gathered air into my palm and, with accuracy only available to the wielders of the Byakugan, I palmed, the senbon going to the black haired teen in blinding speed that neither of us could see nor react to.

I winced unconsciously as the senbon sped up in a vacuum shell pierced right through the muscle, ligaments and what I suspected from the sound of it, even the _bone_ of his right shoulder. Both of our eyes widened in shock, his more in pain and mine in disbelief of it _actually working_. "What the fuck..." He muttered as he carelessly let go the sword with a clang out of the seer shock that there was a _small hole in the middle of his shoulder that you could see through_ and I used that opportunity to spam the jutsu that won me then last match I Vacuum Palmed his sword away when we realized that "woah, the kenutsu user disarmed himself". I got into a low and more refined position.

I didn't give him a chance to scramble for his weapon.

"Hidden Shadow Snake Hands!" I muttered out of shear nervousness, Seto being right about shouting the names of your jutsu to keep your nerves in place.

Snakes fired off from my sleeves. He rolled away, the snakes streaking through the air and following him. He got his katana much to my displeasure and slashed the snakes in quick succession.

Ah shit.

He body flickered near me and tried to knock me unconscious with the butt of his blade. I blocked it, a boa creeping from my sleeve with thick scales and muscle that could hold the steel.

"Ew, snake creeper." He muttered before jumping away from the slithering serpent.

Wow, what a dick.

He got three kunais and lunged it at me. I rolled away, throwing my own senbons which he deflected with ease. This was clearly a battle of stamina and he was winning.

So let me just try to end this then. I clapped my hands; the abuse of the summoning jutsu rendered the chakra manipulations for it all just muscle memory. Butterflies erupted from the palm of my hand.

"Mangeyko Illusion: Labyrinth."

The world only consisted of us and only us. The crowd turned into faceless black men playing the strings, wind and percussion. My victim looked around cautiously, keeping his smirk in place. All he needed to do was...

"Kai."

Heh, all part of the plan.

With the music now booming, wooden cartwheels manifested out of thin air. He tensed, the release not working. He slashed through the cartwheels with ease. Huh, that wasn't working well. He maneuvered through them, slashing and hacking through the wood. When he got a break, he tried again.

"Kai!"

Red and blue water erupted out of nowhere, the floor breaking through to reveal a hole filled with stuff. He flailed around the air, losing his breath despite all of this being an illusion, the suddenness making him not focused enough to release a genjutsu.

I couldn't kill someone with a genjutsu. I know the _theory_ of killing someone with an illusion but only the Kurama with their Kekkai Genkai managed to do it. It probably required a lot of practice with genjutsu and chakra control to perfectly replicate the feelings you wanted to give to the person, intense enough to make them cause a seizure and a nosebleed. I knew I couldn't do it yet. I was fucking _six_ for the love of all that is holy and good. My genjutsu could, however, cause someone to faint after believable water and drowning thanks to the lack of oxygen entering your body. Poor guy, I knew how bad the feeling of drowning was so it was easy to replicate.

First hand experiences were very easy to mimic for an illusion.

Not that I felt guilty. He'll survive.

The genjutsu butterflies fluttered away, revealing a quiet audience and an unconscious katana wielding asshat that was too noisy for his own good. I sighed heavily while the crowd began their cheering, me staring at the hole in his shoulder that was finally bleeding and probably could cause him a lot of pain if he wakes up. I winced at a loud and distinct "THAT'S MY VEGGIE-CHAN! SHOW THEM THE POWER OF VITAMIN C- _ow, Rin that hurt!"_ from the crowd.

"Hyūga Tokina Wins!" The proctor's voice rang through in the midst of the loud cheers, subtle boos and everything in between as I felt an arm on my shoulder as I let myself get dragged to the arena's infirmary by a medic-nin, my bones, my flesh probably bleeding and my nails all bruised and calloused. I closed my eyes when I was allowed to lie down in the bed to prepare for my next fight. I didn't have the energy to groan at the realization that _Hatake fucking Kakashi_ , was the next fight when I wake up.

I tried not to think about it and focused on basking on my hard-earned victory.

I deserved that win, dammit.

* * *

AN.

This was really fun to edit, honestly. It was a pain, but it was fun.

Like BDSM sex :D

Anyway, since it's newyears, wear helmets because you could never trust the sky these days. I am not kidding when you should wear a helmet when going out. Those inconsiderate bitches are blasting their guns into the sky. I don't want none of you going outside your house without a helmet to prevent stray bullets from landing at your precious head. Thank you for the kind reviews and I know this chapter might be boring to some since its just fighting and narrating but I hope y'all still have the time to review.

Since it's newyears, don't get too drunk, stay hydrated, be with your family (if anime is your family then go do that,) and ENJOY LIFE! :)

(also thanks for the anime reqs but like I already watched Boku no (pico) HERO academia a long time ago, honey. And the other one, I'm about to start, ty)

(p.s I'm pretty sure I forgot a line break but I don't know where)


	20. Chapter 20: The Bar Exam wo The Bar 3

AN.

I wanted to post yesterday but wouldn't let me upload this to doc manager :(

Anyway, the first chapter of 2018 everyone!

WARNING: There might be spoilers of some things about Naruto or Shippuden but I completely forgot where it was so keep an eye out.

* * *

I walked out of the infirmary with a good feeling in my chest. I did it! I won the pre-finals match! That makes me a shoe-in for chunin and a guaranteed sponsorship by the Hyūga for my baby brother! With a smile, I began making my way outside of the arena; returning the "Good job!" and "Well done!" the people gave me. It made me feel like a celebrity and that made me make my head dip in slight shame because _wow, a lot of people are staring at me_. Years of playing the piano in a bar made me immune to this once upon a time but it's been six years after that and it seems my stone cold exterior has been cracking ever since those days.

I began walking to the group in the middle of the road waiting for me. I smiled at them and made a beeline for Obito, who was waving his arms like a human billboard because he has no sense of shame whatsoever, Rin meekly waving in contrast to the flamboyant Uchiha, and my mom smiling at me with pride while Tokuma bumbled and toyed with her hair as the baby boy rest in her arms.

Yeah…Maybe I can win against Hatake Kakashi if I had these guys supporting me through and through.

* * *

"That was such a cool fight!" Obito gushed between us in a public restaurant as "victory dinner,". It sounded really pretentious to me but my mom and Rin wouldn't let me have it otherwise. Obito, the lecherous friend he is, didn't care as long as he had free food that _isn't_ from his kind and sweet grandmother. Seriously, how can he get sick of her fried chicken?! It literally makes fast food joints in my world cry with shame. The Uchiha really knows their shit when it comes to frying, whether it be people or chicken. I pursed my lips and gave him a tight lipped smile while I rubbed my abused ear. Rin, on the other hand, tried to shush the black haired kid but he wasn't having it today. He ignored it and continued "You know, until it became a weird game of charades, but other than that, it really had me in the edge of my seat!"

I snorted and slurped my soup before answering Obito. "Well, what did you expect from genjutsu, fire and explosions?"

"I don't know!" He chomped down his _fine meat_ like it was made from some random street vendor that's in every corner of Konoha. "I thought it would be flashier!"

"What can a girl do?" I continued sipping the mystery soup that my mom ordered. I didn't know what it was but it had meat in it, therefore it's safe. Besides, I doubt my mom would sabotage her own daughter's exams if it had my brother's tuition on the line.

Rin sighed deeply, finished with her fish. She looked at Obito longingly, who in turn, blushed a cute shade of pink. "To think, when we graduate, it'll be us in the arena." She said thoughtfully. "It's kind of scary when you think about it."

We all agreed to that statement silently, not knowing what to say in response. She was right, of course. It was kind of fucked up that you had to pit up against people that you ate a dango with and expect them to kill you like those memories didn't matter. I just had to count the little blessings, like how I wasn't born in Kiri, for example. The magazines that "leaks top-secret information" (honestly, I bet it's just a cheap sham to instill morale in the war time.) tell us that Kiri's education system is basically a "go into this pit and survive" type of thing. I still couldn't fathom why Kiri would decide that killing off the Yuki Clan just because some of them were smart enough to run away was a good move. What did they expect the small clan to do?

At least, that is what I thought. My thoughts were ripped away from me when the Naruto in this generation opened his mouth, standing up and declaring. "Don't worry, Rin! I'll make sure to beat up every single one of those guys so you wouldn't have to fight them!"

Tokuma cheered with Obito, which was cute. What wasn't cute was my mom's reply.

"But Obito-kun," She began, her eyes only on her food. "That would mean that you have to face Rin-chan in the finals. I didn't know you were the type of person to hurt your friends like that." She said seriously, me and Rin knowing it was a joke.

Obito, the friendship-is-magic maniac he was, spluttered at the accusation. "W-what! No! Akane-san, you know I didn't mean it _like that_!" He slammed his hands on the table, flustered at the situation. Rin and I giggled under our sleeves while my mom waved him off.

"My, my, you are causing quite a ruckus. Maybe you should tone it done a little bit, Obito-kun." She smiled at the six year old male. He pouted and sat back down, all the while grumbling. She tended to Tokuma before setting her eyes on me. "You better get ready for the match tomorrow." My mom reminded me of my death sentence as my brother tugged her long locks cutely, trying to get food from her. My mom ignored him and waited for my response. "Notice him, Akane-senpai! He only wants your love.

I nodded."Yeah, I will, mom."

* * *

"YOU CAN DO IT TOKINA!" A high-pitched girly voice that belonged to one Nohara Rin shot through the crowd impressively, drowning out all the other cheers and whoops in the crowd. It was a bright, cold and early morning that shouldn't have the smell of blood but whatever! Since when was the ninja life full of sunshine and rainbows? I tried to calm my nerves despite my poker-face smile because I did _not_ prepare at all. When we got back home, all I did was pack my senbons and kunai (fuck those metal fidget spinners) and went to bed. I should've crammed a new genjutsu or maybe even plagiarize Tsunade's theory of super strength but no, I just slept on it.

Like all my other important exams in my past school. I usually passed because all you really needed to do was listen to the teacher/professor, but this exam had _physical labor_ in it.

I can't do it, mommy!

"BEAT BAKASHI'S ASS!"

"OBITO!"

I chuckled at the vulgarity a six year old shouldn't even possess and focused on that instead of my upcoming death and nervously fidgeted the senbon in my hands as my last opponent (which I'm sure I'm going to lose to) walked in. Kakashi's black jumpsuit and jacket effectively warming him while me and kimono shirt and hakama doing nothing against the cold September week. I shivered and held myself as I waited for the proctor to signal for the match to start. Kakashi gave me an assessing look, a sneer and began looking out right terrifying for a six year old.

Me and my six year old ass also knew that he knew how to _hold a gruge_. I have full confidence that he's going to make this personal.

"The last match, Hatake Kakashi vs Hyūga Tokina-"

What the fuck where did he come from?!

"Begin!"

"Bald Mangos!" I cursed out loud, activating my Byakugan and throwing the senbon at the kid half a second that should've hit if it were any other guy. He blocked it with his special tantō and began running up to me. I bit my left cheek and barely dodged his blade when he lunged for me. We both spun around and I returned the strikes with more of my needles. He effortlessly parried them in a quick succession before trading my needles for his own knives and killer boomerangs (fuck shurikens). I easily deflected them with chakra coated palms and maneuvered away from the worst of the metal storm. He didn't waste any time and used that opening to engage with kenjutsu. Since I didn't want to lose any fingers, I side stepped and ducked away from his shining blade. I ducked from what was supposed to be an attempt to decapitate me and sent a hissing viper to his neck. I heard him gasp before back flipping away. I stood up and tried to catch my breath as the viper slithered back into my sleeves.

And that was just the first fifteen seconds!

Well, anything new I got from that assessment? Killer reflexes of a prodigy with speed of an elite chunin to die for. You know, the usual shit from _the_ Hatake Kakashi. Maybe if I just pushed him down the pedestal I put him in, I could maybe win this with some bullshitting here and ther. He knew about what amounted to my trump card. He has a sharp weapon which I'm sure he won't let go even if I pierced his hand with a thousand senbons. Excels in ninjutsu so e could beat me in mid to long combat. He's not dumb enough to fall for tricks, traps and feints.

We had a stand-off, both of us in our respective stances, waiting for each other to do the next move.

…Okay, how the hell do I beat him? What do I have that he doesn't? Genjutsu. I had to repress the scoff when I thought of using the same trick twice. Yeah, I'm pretty sure after the genin exams, he would know how to break out of a genjutsu. I have near three-sixty vision, which I use to not get stabbed in the back. Maybe I should have splurged in that three-for-one special that fūinjutsu shop was offering next to the restaurant we ate yesterday. I'm pretty sure that low-grade explosive tags aren't that expensive anyway.

I didn't need to hold back on my snakes but Hidden Shadow Snake Hands made me stand still for the snakes to be as fast as they should and that was the only snake ninjutsu I knew. If I missed even once, I'm sure that he'll use that to slice the snakes off my arm, run to me and slice my actual arm off. I need to slow him down a bit, even if it cost me all my senbons.

I drew more of my weapons, specifically kunai and senbons, and aimed for his heart and shoulder. He deflected them with ease, his tantō making white light as he sliced through the air. He body flickered next to me with that prodigious speed of his(of course) and tried to hit me in my blind spot with the butt of his blade all the while mid air. I turned, auto-pilot because of all the times Seto abused that one little spot in sparring, and got his arm and threw him down to the gronud, preparing to Vacuum Palm his heart. He slashed his tatō against the wind, making it graze my cheek. I flinched away from the blade because I did not want him to slash my bulging veins. He rolled away and threw more of the metal he's been abusing. I unleashed my Vacuum Palm to block the said objects. He jumped away from the strong gust of wind, throwing more and more of his tools like he had an endless supply of them.

He dodged the volley of sharp metals to give him something to do so I could weave my genjutsu, all the while performing hand seals.

That can't be good.

"Earth Release: Mud Wave." I heard him mutter as he slammed his hands to the ground, making the ground shake abnormally almost like it was liquid. Disorienting to say the least, I jumped out of it and ran on the walls, that jutsu required him to keep his hands on the ground which in turn exposed his back! My chance! I threw senbons at him; he canceled the jutsu and dodged it. He threw kunai at my direction, which prompted me to draw my own senbon and deflect it.

He used that opportunity to get close and personal, not letting me prepare my senbons or kunai to deflect his blade.

I used the wall as leverage and jumped out of the way with the help of my butterfly seal, his small blade meeting concrete. I continued throwing senbons at him and where he might land but all it did was meet soil.

He began throwing his share of kunai and shuriken; I sidestepped and dodged them as well as wincing at the occasional graze and slash. This was obviously leading us to nowhere. If I could just disable him for one second then I could Vacuum Palm him to the wall and cancel out his chakra system. Or maybe do a genjutsu on his ass.

He threw shuriken and kunai at me, while I dodged it again, used to the dance we've been doing. What I failed to notice, even with my eyes, is that all the shuriken and kunai he's been throwing this time had ninja wire. I gasped, using my vision to scan the field. The wires covered the whole floor, restricting my choice of movements. It looked like some fucked up chess-board except that if you had the strength to, it could easily cut your foot from your leg. I looked up at Kakashi with a single kunai he was holding with a dead serious expression on his face.

Sorry, but I really need my feet.

I haphazardly prepared a Vacuum Palm while he swiftly wrapped his arm around the metal and tugged, making the ninja wire close in on my feet. I jumped and did a Vacuum Palm, using the recoil to mess with the wires as well as to make me go further up, higher than an average chakra empowered jump could ever do to me. Kakashi kept his eyes on me as he threw the kunai with all the ninja wire coated with lightning chakra. With enough strength, the kunai tugged all of the other metal in the field to it, infecting it with the bright blue lightning.

I didn't know how it looked like in the audience's point of view but to me it looked like a lightning comet was heading for me.

And that was bad in any context.

I substituted with butterflies as the amalgam of ninja tools was making its way to impale my head. Still mid-air and high enough for his reach and hard enough for him to land an accurate hit, I sent him a Hidden Shadow Snake Hands. The snakes hissed in anticipation from my sleeves, fangs lashing out as they pierced through their target. I landed on the ground, the snakes still oddly connected. It successfully pierced him. Literally pierced right through him since said target erupted in a puff of smoke, much to my disappointment. I saw through the smoke thanks to my good eyesight, the snakes biting and ravaging the log angrily. I sighed and kept my guard up as I called for my serpents.

I felt a quick gush of air and turned around with a senbon in hand, deflecting the back stab he was trying to do. His black eyes met my own while we had our own battle of strengths. He had two hands on his handle while I had one on mine, which was losing very quickly. I abused his lack of hands and summoned snakes from my sleeves to try and eviscerate him _again_. He twitched at the sensation of the serpents, kicked me away in the stomach, snake and all. I grunted and regained my footing.

Now _that_ was just rude. He didn't even offer a cheeky remark or whatever. At least take me to dinner or something. Honestly, boys only want one thing and it's fucking disgusting.

We had another stand-off as we tried to assess the situation again. It was probably a full minute by now, which was actually really long in chunin exam standards. We've been dragging this too long and its only a matter of time till Kakashi exhausts himself of chakra or I just exhaust myself period. I flexed my fingers, thinking what else should I do since he's been playing smart the entire fight, making sure that I couldn't pluck out his tenketsu points or keeping me running so I couldn't focus on a simple genjutsu.

But what he didn't know is that I had an ace up my sleeve.

…Which was the whole point of having it but whatever.

With a clasp of hands and a rainbow erupting from my closed fingers, butterflies escaped, morphing into the world I wanted him to see. The ground and arena disappeared, morphing into black and white. Kakashi looked askance as the world reshaped, shadows crawling in his body, consuming everything and everyone in it with the soft hum of piano in the background. A red sun being held up with a torch erupted from behind Kakashi. I heard him scoff, having enough of this.

"Kai,"

Okay, now the hard part.

I kneeled next to the sun-torch with genjutsu shadows encasing me so had to put all my concentration into multi tasking like a bitch, I could make a perfect Elsa Maria except for the fact that if he somehow beheads me, there won't be any vicious trees erupting from my head. My head pounded while snakes seemingly erupted from the ground, in all blacks. Kakashi, who couldn't tell snake from snake and wall from empty space, stayed his ground and cut through the serpents with his blade. They streaked through the air with their abnormally long bodies as they tried to empower him, not just with strength but with numbers.

He could easily conclude that I'm pouring all my chakra on this dangerously but I really couldn't think of anything else to do aside from chakra exhaustion which really isn't good for my image.

With a silent Many Hidden Shadow Snake hands that erupted from my collar, masked by shadows and given heads from different animals to look like some fucked up shadow play, they streaked through the air, aiming for the only boy in this world. All the while this was happening, I had to continue to mask the roar of the crowd with music blaring from every direction and continue to encase the world I created with blacks and whites. My head banged while I clutched my hands tightly. What was painful is that I couldn't distract myself from the intense migraine I had to endure to continue this genjutsu.

Kakashi continued with his own last stand, the snakes and the world against him. With a shadowy glint from his tantō, he slashed the snakes, cutting the serpents in varying sizes without discrimination while dodging expertly from the fangs of the muscled reptiles. All he could hear was the blaring of _Decretum_ which made me slightly envious since I had to drown the whoops of the crowd. They probably saw Kakashi just maneuvering over the snakes that I _know_ covered the entire field while I kneeled down and continued summoning them from the depths of Ryūchi Cave. He and I was probably giving a pretty anime scene with him staying one spot while he used the left over bodies of the serpents he cut as leverage and used those to vault himself upward and pierced the snakes mid-air like a _true swordsman of justice_.

Aaaaaah, my head hurts like a bitch.

The snakes tried another approach, they began circling him quickly. He tensed, remaining in his place. He didn't even ready his tantō.

Why was he standing still?

I felt the slip of the world from my palms and cursed under my breath. Shit, I need to keep this up. I ignored whatever he did and continued to mask the outside world from this world while summoning my array of snakes.

He threw a single kunai to the sky, a burning piece of paper tied to it.

Shit,

It erupted; shaking the world and making me lose concentration thanks to the sudden explosion and how _obnoxiously loud_ explosions were.

Double shit,

With my right hand clutching my head, I stood up. Kakashi walked through the mass array of snake carcasses in the middle of the field. I made the rest of the living snakes engage on him to give him something to do while I leaned on the wall of the field, trying my best _not_ to puke my breakfast out. The world was literally fuzzy and spinning. I converted my leftover chakra and staggered away from the kunai he was throwing at me while he dealt with the snakes. I tried my best to heal the migraine which helped just a little bit. Shaking my head and regaining concentration, I faced Kakashi who wa s standing triumphant in the mountain of cold bodies that were my snakes. That can't be good. I forced out a quick Hidden Shadow Snake Hands despite the headache since I didn't have enough control to do a Vacuum Palm because even the simplest Jyūken jutsu required a lot of concentration to do. He dodged the vipers, coming straight for me which I anticipated. I made the single giant viper curve away from him so he wouldn't slice it up. There was a loud, sharp gasp that came from the crowd. With the image of Kakashi and his tantō to my neck while I was positioned below him, a hand raised with a viper stopping near inches from injecting lethal poison to his neck, who wouldn't be surprised? We had our third and final stand-off with both of us tired.

It was obvious who won by how my snake and I limped instantly while my knees buckled in. I caught myself while Kakashi was unrelenting with the hostage situation and amended his position, his tantō aiming for my forehead now. After some short breaths, I had to say it. With a small voice that _everyone_ heard for some reason, I muttered "I concede,".

"Hatake Kakashi wins! This concludes the chunin exams this year! Examiners, please come to the Hokage tower on December 8."

I deactivated my Byakugan, the veins relaxing as cheers erupted from all sides of the crowd. Fan favorite? I felt the tantō leave my forehead. I knew he was walking away with the soft pitter-patter his shoes was making but I couldn't really see clearly since my vision was all fuzzy and messed up. I had a terrible headache that could make a college student cry and disregard how expensive student loans were. It was so bad that I felt like I could literally _puke_ it all ou-

I coughed, blood staining the ground.

 _Ah, there it is._ My stomach was hurting as well as my whole body with a disgusting metallic taste in my mouth. It was an absolutely _charming_ experience. What a life for a ninja. The masked nosed brat gave me a smug look over his shoulder as I stayed in the ground while I regained my bearings because, damn this ground was feeling soft right now. I didn't even give him a response while he body-flickered away.

He was kinder in the manga.

He was hotter in the anime, too.

* * *

"You almost had him, Tokina-chan!" Rin quipped cheerfully in our post-exam dinner. We ate happily while I nursed a bandaged stomach and cheek because fuck his tantō with all circles of hell. I had more bandages in my body of all the cuts I didn't notice he inflicted on me but they were minor shit. My mom immediately gave me an asipirin and with a quick Jyūken jab, I was sleeping for the rest of the day after that match. I awoke with a dry throat and a killer headache that subsided thanks to Rin. I nodded and relished my mom's absolutely divine fish sticks. Tokuma flailed happily in his highchair in the Hyūga compound. I sighed because of my aching everything and forced myself on the really good food, even if I was under the influence of _many_ painkillers.

"That one jutsu with the giant snakes were so cool!" Obito hyped with his mouth full. "You almost had him!" Dammit boy, say it don't _spray_ it. I had to bite my lip with the urge to shout at him because of how I ached in some weird places that shouldn't even be aching.I wiped off his rice silently as Akinosuke rested on my head lazily, trying his best to relax and numb the pain with his own brand of genjutsu.

I couldn't tell if it worked or not,

"I worked hard on that genjutsu, though." I pouted a little bit childishly, " _Really_ hard," I literally crammed Elsa Maria's labyrinth and this was the reward I got. Jutsu multitasking was a bitch, especially if one of them needed absolute chakra control and focus. I need to work on that. And don't get me started on getting distracted by an EXPLOSION of all things. How can I use that on the battlefield when those things were as common as pebbles on a gravel sidewalk?

"Hmph, I know you can beat him one day, Tokina-chan." She said dead-serious, Tokuma flailing under the small amount of killer intent she was giving, "Just because he has a blade does not mean you should not be using your palms to block it. Oh, if only your father was here! He would have taught you the technique to make your bare palms cut through steel like scissors on grass." She continued to rant while my mom gave Tokuma his carrot mush a little bit too forcefully.

Rin snickered at my mom, her reputable sensei pouting because her daughter lost her crush. I shared the sentiment with her, albeit for different reasons. It was funny to see how Tokuma can cope with angry mommy with all the insisting she was doing. What was even funnier was how _the_ One-Eyed Beauty was exhanching rants with an overzealous Uchiha. The table is noisy and for the first time in forever, it was because of my mom.

"Makes me think when it'll be me and Obito's turn to go down there," Rin muttered absent-mindedly to herself. I nudged her, a smile in place. Her apprenticeship is going really well and I knew my mom was teaching Rin her Chakra Scalpel fighting style that all of the medic-corps should learn. "You're going to do fine, Rin." I reassured her. She smiled and took it for what it was worth and continued with her soup. She was still attending school since mom insisted but after she would always make a beeline for either the hospital or here in certain days because she knew exactly when or where my mom will be.

It was kind of embarrassing for her to know my mom's schedule better than her own daughter's.

Rin is going to be a fine Medical-Nin/Poison Mistress.

Who knows, maybe she might save Obito from himself as well.

But right now, I just need to pray that, despite my flop in my finals, I graduate to chunin.

* * *

AN.

TL;DR, Food and a fights.

How many of you predicted that Tokina was going to win? Just a thought,

Anyway, this chapter, when I copy-pasted the draft to Word it was about 2000 words only then after editing it suddenly was 4000 plus words. Amazing how much shit you miss and should add in editing. You know what else is amazing? Drawing out one goddamn fight for this long. I hope I kept the tension up or whatever. Constructive criticism will be VERY appreciated since I really do want to get better. Anyway, Enjoy Life :)


	21. Chapter 21: The Day She Feared Dick

AN.

I really need to fix my computer and _not_ leech off from my sister's laptop.

WARNINGS: The usual and rape jokes...if you count the things in this fanfic as rape jokes. I don't honestly but some people might so brace yourselves.

* * *

I was still genin even after one year after the chunin exams which was no surprise. Well, it was a surprise for Hiashi, Mom and my two friends for some reason. They were outraged for me but my own rage was melted by the fact that Hiashi still gave my baby brother the scholarship so all is well that ends well or something like that. Frankly, I was a bit relieved that I wasn't chunin yet. Who _wants_ more responsibility in this world where stabbing a person in the back equates to bringing honor to your village? I was a big sister, _loving_ sister now, which meant that I don't mind changing Tokuma's diaper once in a while. I couldn't do that when I'm off healing some poor sod or causing a heart attack to an even _poorer_ sod.

It was probably an excuse for more training, making more summoning techniques I can use and perfecting my taijutsu and genjutsu since those three are the only things I'm good at besides running away. Medical-ninjutsu was still a thing of course, since I was dragged into it again by Rin and mom. It was no surprise that I had more chakra control than Rin but she had a better understanding on the human anatomy and how it works which was as vital as chakra control itself. The year passed with nothing but some D to B-ranks with some people I didn't know, understanding the Summoning Jutsu and trying to manipulate Obito into confessing to Rin early.

They were cute the first couple of weeks but ,Jesus Christ, Rin is thicker than a bowl of oatmeal.

I miss the internet.

It wasn't really surprising when making a new summoning technique was easier than getting some shounen protagonist to confess to his dearly beloved at the tender age of seven.

I was forced to make a new summoning technique because Tadashi was mad at me for treating the snake-summoning contract like it was a glorified "open this and string comes out of it, oh my god so funny" type of prank. Well, to be fair, it was kind of like that but deadlier and poisonous. Apparently, the "Great White Sage Snake" was already stretching the rules for me when I signed the contract with some lowly butterfly summon (which bothered Tadahisa more than Akinosuke which was cute in my opinion) and he already has Orochimaru cutting up more snakes that the snake summons in Ryuchi Cave can produce. What he was trying to say was "Stop making us look bad and make us look bad _ass_."

Oh, Tadashi also informed me that he was cancelling the contract if I stopped using snakes like glorified string beans and use them to actually constrict.

So I was mostly forced to rip-off summoning techniques from other animals like Kakashi'sEarth Release: Summoning: Tracking Fang. It was relatively easy, honestly. Just pull out a specific brand of snakes, make them dig a hole from where I slammed the seal on and boom, you have live ribbons trapping a person instantly. Because I _wasn't_ the Namikaze Minato, I _didn't_ name it "Summoning: Sake Dancing in the Mud Technique ver. 2" and just named it "Summoning: Sudden Snake Glare Spell" since it was essentially just a Snake Glare Spell but with extra _surprise_ and _fuck you_ in it.

I was still six (much to Obito's infinite pleasure) when I _finally_ got into a formal three man cell (much to Obito's infinite jealousy). It was a pleasant surprise for me when I was grouped into a team that I was already familiar with.

Uchiha Soma and Yamanaka Tenzo as a formal, three man cell,

It was a very pleasant surprise indeed.

* * *

"Ah, Tokina-chan." Soma's angelic voice called out to me as I walked into the unfamiliar Training Ground 23. It was forests and bushes till the eye could see no dummies or targets at all. The cat-nin waved at me with his grin that I grew to like. He was still the brunette, pony-tail wearing Yamanaka I still loved but the only difference is was his normally blue eyes were now blue slits probably thanks to the cat contract. He grew his nails out and filed them to make some scary looking claws which I could appreciate in the distance. I knew where he was getting at but my vanity just screamed "DISGUSTING! VILE! THAT IS TOO LONG, TOO LONG!"

Despite my inner Victoria's Secret model screaming, my mind still went blank at the hot mess of a man in front of me.

He called me _chan_! I could die and go to heaven this instant. Or in those slacks. Whichever works,

Wait that would mean that he would go to jail for pedophilia…

Stupid body age, I have to wait a long fucking time till I get good dick.

Call me thirsty or whatever but you know what doctors say: "Stay hydrated".

Tenzo snorted at my usually gawking which only _he_ could see because I quickly masked my thirstiness and smiled at both of them and waved while walking closer to them. "Hello Soma-san, Tenzo-kun."

We had a few missions together and hung out for a congratulatory party for a job well done sometimes. We were close but not Rin and Obito close.

"Snake-chan," He greeted me with a cheeky smile, earning a speculative look from our leader who was waiting for my reaction.

Which _was_ usually a venomous smile and a rattle snake in his boxers but I retained the ghost of professionalism in me and replied with a cool "Cat-chan, good to see you again." With an equally cheeky boxers or briefs;I haven't used my Byakugan for those kinds of purposes yet but with Soma in the team though, I just might reconsider. I needed to adjust my focus sometimes...

"You're so cold for a six year old." Was the Yamanaka's remark. I just smiled at him and dramatically rolled my eyebrows. I took the chance to inspect the training grounds once more. "Training Grounds" was really stretching it since it was literally a forest.

"So, Soma-sensei, we're in the training grounds but exactly are we supposed to hit?" The brunette voiced out my concerns for me. It was bleak, barren and green. It was too green for my liking. It neededa splash of blue and more brown with the amount of foliage in it.

"Training Grounds 23 is used for stealth missions as the Hokage informed me that we will be accepting infiltration and missions that involves being sneaky." He informed us. I nodded, not getting the Hokage's line of logic. I was about to raise my concerns before the hot mes…I mean, Soma opened his mouth."My job is to provide the firepower just in case we need something demolished." He gave a sadistic grin as his fingers flexed at the thought of something blowing up. Oh god, a terrorist in love with blowing shit up that rivalledDeidara's.

That was hot.

"Tenzo-kun, your job is going to be the distraction or infiltration part of the missions as your HidenJutsu would be better than a measly transformation jutsu so I want you to focus on that." The Yamanaka nodded, knowing his job as a clan kid.

"Tokina-san, your job is going to be the tracking and maybe support role in our missions and maybe even some capturing if we're unlucky. Your Camouflage jutsu paired up with your talent for genjutsu will make our lives much more easier." I slightly blushed at the compliment he gave me and took it for what it was. I nodded and he continued."I have been informed of your skills as a medic-ninja but I believe that you weren't assigned to this team for that job in mind." He smirked at my obedience. Probably knew how I was being passed around like a rag doll because of the lack of field medics.

"Today I want you to practice team work, general stealth, survival and tracking. I want you to retrieve this-" the Uchiha raised a scroll in his left hand. "-from me in the forest. Track me down and retrieve it. You have until next sunrise until..." He cut himself off with a pleasant smile. That was odd and slightly unnerving.

"Begin."

And without another word, the sexy Uchiha we have been talking to body flickered, leaving leaves and twigs in his wake.

The Yamanaka visibly sighed. "I hate tracking. It was always such a hassle." He dejectedly looked at me before smirking. "Welp, that's why we have a Hyūga with us, right?"

With an amused snort and a tug on my jacket, I activated my Byakugan and started looking,

* * *

"Found him yet?" He said through my mind as I felt his hand resting on my head, the taller teammate obviously using me as a hand rest and abusing the height difference. It was about lunch time now as we adventured through the forest known as Training Ground 23 with no sign of Soma in sight. Damn, with that height, you would spot him from a crowd of people. How could that giant hide so well? Not only was his physical body theoretically impossible to hide but his chakra looked like an untameable flame, that in itself should be a beacon for attention to all sensor-nins and Byakugan wielders alike.

He wasn't jonin for nothing.

"Nope," I reported to the older kid. "I don't even see any residue chakra. This might take a while." I narrowed my lips and reported to the self-proclaimed team head, slowly getting irritated at the lack of progress. "How are your cats doing?"

"They would report to me if they found anything so probably not as good as you are right now." Taizo whimpered. It seems he did also not like the situation we were in. Well who would? It's like this place was designed to make you irritated. Trees not being the same height so tree jumping in itself was a chore, the general forest environment not pleasing to my eyes one bit, the greenery being too close for comfort. It was irritating, displeasing and I wanted to smash the trees to feel the dirt again. It was just branches and leaves and general unhappiness.

This was worse than the forest of death.

I had to test multiple times if I was under the Sharingan'sgenjutsu despite Soma not using it or me with my all seeing eyes. As a genjutsu expert _and_ a Byakugan wielder, I should be able to detect if I was under an illusion or not. It was in the job description to know if you were in a genjutsu if you were even a half-assed genjutsu mistress.

I summoned a few snakes which were native to this forest before continuing with a huff.

This is going to take a _long_ while.

I sighed irritably and deactivated my eyes after three hours to prevent Byakugan strain. I haven't had it yet but mom said it was a bitch to deal with. Something like having the Hokage tower on your head while ten Akimichi using my eyes as a stage for dancing as well as practicing their body expansion jutsu. It was probably an exaggeration so my eyes wouldn't deteriorate but _something_ had to be that painful for that exaggeration so I wisely kept my eyes bulging for only three hours max, four if I'm feeling lucky.

"I need a break." I reported to the Yamanaka who was trailing me.

"Eh, sure," He shrugged, pulling out a water bottle. I got one of my own and, with regret, finished only half. I was damed thirsty and only packed for a few hours, not a day and a half. I looked around the forest, used my Byakugan for a full three seconds despite needing rest and deactivated it. I needed a body of water here or I will kill Taizo for his water. My throat was not satisfied with the amount of water I've been depriving from it.

"How about we find a stream?" The Yamanaka sensed my displeasure. "It's about time for lunch anyway."

I relied on Tenzo finding the scent of water and fish because of his cat contract and it was fairly obvious by the fact that his eyes were slits meant that the contract is causing him physical changes.

Because cats greater- than-sign-three fish.

…I miss the internet.

It was a bit racist but whatever. As long as it gives me my three basic needs then I'll be damn alright. Use every single tool you have as a ninja because we were built, bred and taught to cheat and abuse.

...that did not sound right.

I shrugged at my bad inner joke and continued following the Yamanaka.

Until three kunai shot pass him.

 _Whatthefuck?!_

"Okayhedoesntwanttoletusdrinkthenfine!"I blurted out in surprise, my hand above my heart.

Taizo nodded furiously at my assessment and quickly backed off, earning shurikens at the path we were supposed to take. We yelped like the true ninjas we were and tried to avoid getting new ornaments on or head.

"Byakugan!" My panicked voice shot through the bristling trees. Usually, there would be action packed background music to keep things tense and exciting. But since this was the real world I was living in, it was just silent besides panicked breathing, birds tweeting and leaves rustling. It was unnerving and not adrenaline pumping. I looked around, the traces of the attacker gone like it was some illusion.

Which I checked by the way, with a periodical release so I knew I wasn't in genjutsu,

"Okay, assuming we're trapped and compromised with no enemy in sight..." I began nervously with killing intent flooding my senses and survivor's fear and anxiety because even with my eyes, I. Can't. See. Him. "What in God's good name do we do?"

"If you can't see him and I can't sense _or_ smell him, he would have killed us by now but since this is training..."

He gave me a frantic yet serious look. That was never a good sign.

"We're lucky if we leave this forest out alive and virgins."

This is some American Horror story level shit.

* * *

Night time was tense. I mean _really tense_. Like "Oh my god, we are so going to die, please just do it quickly" kind of tense. We huddled near each other on a really thick branch, snake and cat working together to protect their antsy summoners. We hugged each other for warmth because the moment Taizo suggested building a camp fire, his hand was pierced with a shuriken. I was okay with the temperature but with the setting of a horror story with knives and shit? I just needed someone to hug. This was scarier than all of our missions combined.

Scarier than fucking Orochimaru I tell you.

Stealth and Retrieval?

More like Survival and Horror.

"My my, it seems you two aren't following the mission objective." A malicious voice called out to us, killer intent flooding in. This man had more killer intent than Orochimaru on a good day! Who the hell is he?! Taizo tensed around me while my lips quivered and my birth right activated wide eyed and fearful.

Which wasn't needed since two red eyes with three tomoes was glowing in the dark staring right back at us.

We both let out a girlish shriek, mine being totally justified while the boy that should be experiencing puberty wasn't. The snakes and cats around us pounced. The red eyes moved quickly, dodging the mammal and reptiles expertly. The cats and snakes entered the bush without any of them returning. No hissing from either animal was heard. They didn't come back and both of us couldn't sense them anymore. Taizo, who was now standing up and looking absolutely horrified, grabbed my hand and stared running as fast as he can.

Which was really fast,

I followed suit when I heard evil snickering directly at my blind spot. We ran and ran until our legs couldn't take it. We didn't bother masking our trail in our hurry, Taizo throwing shuriken and kunai at the darkness, hoping it'll hit. About ten minutes in running at full speed, I couldn't take it.

"Hold up..." I huffed, my body hot and wet in the worst way. "I feel like my legs are about to snap." Taizo looked back but reluctantly nodded, letting me rest my short child legs. I leaned next to a tree and drank the last of my water since we weren't able to find a stream.

This is a damn nightmare.

"To-ki-na..." A familiar husky voice which would elicit delicious shivers down my spine was now whispered to me in the worst way and in the worst context _ever_. Taizo turned around and gave me a fearful look. His eyes widened as his lips quivered. I felt my knees shake from tiredness and fear.

"P-please have mercy..." I cried out softly as I felt warm and calloused hands touch my jacket.

"Don't worry..." He snickered. "I'll be gentle and _extra_ careful."

I shrieked before my mouth was covered with the same hands. I heard Taizo scream my name, my hands flailing uselessly while the demon dragged me into the shadows with him

* * *

"Tokina!Tokina!"Taizo called out. One minute, there was nobody other than the Hyūga girl and hethen the next millisecond, a strong presence appeared, dragging Tokina's away. He calmed himself and remembered this was all training. He had to find the scroll for his sake if he wanted to survive.

He needed to honorTokina's memory and sacrifice.

He'll do it for her.

Her sacrifice won't be in vain

"Don't worry Tokina! I'll never forget you!" He called out, tears streaming down his face.

* * *

"Hidden Shadow Snake Hands!" I muttered to instill courage and confidence when I was clearing lacking because _I didn't want to lose my virginity to him in this context_ , letting the feeling of cold muscles and scales wrap around my arm as my Byakugan tracked the man's every move with difficulty. It wasn't like the Sharingan which did the math by its own. I couldn't foresee shit if I tried, only make educated guesses. Soma moved away, dodging the snakes with his Sharingan-hax.

"Fire Release: Great Fireball!"

I shrieked as hot air instantly licked me. I dodged (flailed more like) the incoming ball of fire that spelt death and pain with a capital _Fuck You_. I ran through the dark night in the forest that seemed scarier than the Forest of Death itself. Grabbing a senbon from my holster, I deflected the kunai and shuriken. Heavenly Rotation would be great right about now but I was blessed in being a branch member like the rest so I couldn't grasp the formal theory of it.

"Fire Release: Phoenix Sage Fire!"

I summoned gargantuan boas from my arms, spun around to make a snake bunker which effectively defended me from the attack. The snakes swiftly slithered back into my arms as I threw senbons, snakes and ran as fast my legs could carry.

"Ah, ah, ah, I'm not done with you yet."

I bit my cheek and muttered "Oh merciful God, help me."

I blocked the chakra powered kick aimed to my chest with both arms. I winced and dodged the punch to the gut. I manoeuvred around him, taking a Jyūken stance and began sealing his chakra points. He deflected all my jabs and Palm Bottoms with ease, slapping sounds reverberating through the dark forest. I changed stance, going to Snake Style, a more lethal variant.

With my arms together, I aimed for natural points of his body and not chakra points meaning his eyes, nose, chin and groin. Soma let me lead the dance, though so maybe I could buy some time for Taizo's hearing to help me. Summoning large diamond back rattle snakes on arms, the stance changed, objective to whip and not pierce anymore. The vipers as an extension of my arms bit and streaked the man who blocked with his arms as deflected with a kunai.

He looked faintly amused with his three tomoe Sharingan in full swing. How the hell do you win against that? Able to break out of genjutsu, anticipating taijutsu which he clearly has the reflexes for (the bitch) and copy ninjutsu. It's a good thing he can't copy Hiden, Kekkai Genkai or Summoning Techniques or that'll be a bitch to handle. Imagine an Uchiha with snakes!

Oh wait.

Never mind.

I made him back off with an impromptu HSSH which he quickly disposed off. Using my Byakugan and night vision thanks to cats, manoeuvring the forest in the dark was the same as running through here in the day.

Which amounted to nothing because it was damn hard with all the trees clustered around like this. I took to a Camouflage Jutsu and tried tracking down Taizo who was generously leaving a trail of chakra for me to see, small enough for my Byakugan but not big enough for the Sharingan.

I love my eyes.

I sent out a butterfly clone to intercept Soma. I didn't know if Sharingan users could differentiate clone from the real deal but whatever. As long as it slowed him down.

"Taizo!" I called to the nervous looking Yamanaka.

He looked relieved before smirking, revealing those ghastly red eyes.

That is _not_ Taizo.

Fuck.

"Tokina-chan." Soma-Taizo called out to me. A closer inspection revealed that his chakra system was in all sorts of trouble. Either he was under genjutsu or Taizo successfully possessed the shit out of him. It was probably the former. Whatever! Expelling chakra was the Hyūga speciality!

A quick thrust to the air sent a vacuum shell flying to him. Soma-Taizo widened his eyes before it hit him straight in the head. He hit a large bark with a thud, the Sharigan eyes fading.

"It's not nice to hit your teammates, Tokina-chan." Soma called out with a sardonic smirk.

"I think your taking this a little too far, Soma-taichou." I readied my stance, trying to stop the shaking from the killing intent, snakes hissing protectively at the man as they slithered to the unconscious Yamanaka behind me.

"A ninja must be ready for everything." He shrugged before throwing a shuriken, hitting my shoulder.

I dislodged it quickly and painlessly thanks to the adrenaline, put my hand on it and slammed it on the ground, the black ink making an impression against the grass.

"Summoning: Sudden Snake Glare Spell!"

Four large green anacondas erupted from the ground, swiftly and deftly. The large serpents wrapped themselves around Soma's legs, arms and torso, successfully trapping him and ensnaring him with the threat of poison. It was still weird how ALL the snakes, even a constrictor type at that, in Ryūchi cave had access to deadly venom.

Whatever lets me survive, I guess.

He struggled, earning a tighter grip and heavy killing intent from the hissing serpents that had no tolerance for this. I let out a huff.

"Can't believe that actually worked." I said surprised.

The Uchiha, despite the weight he was probably under on, smiled at me. "You mean to tell me that you used an untested jutsu on me without knowing it may or may not work."

"Yes, taichou"

"That's cheating and might get you killed."

I understood where he was getting at the second part but I _did_ test it. Not for the reason he thought. I usually used it to make sure Tokuma and Obito were in line when they were being bad.

"Hey!" I pointed at him feeling a tinge of irritation at the audacity of _him_ a born and bred _Uchiha_ accusing me, the Hyūga, of cheating as I pointed at him and my other hand doing the seals for Mystic Palm to rouse the unconscious Yamanaka. "And you call snakes cheating? What about mind control, copy jutsu, and perfect anticipation? If that wasn't cheating then I don't know what is." I pouted, tending to the wounds of the Yamanaka.

He tried to snicker but winced instead, the snakes not liking movement under their muscles. They hissed and licked his cheek and he was clearly uncomfortable. "Owowowow, their going to break my bones if this keeps up!" The tough Jonin complained.

"You can do it!" I cheered on sarcastically. "After all, their just snakes." I smiled at his displeasure and scowl.

When all of his injuries were healed, I did what any medic would do to wake their patient up.

Slap them with a chakra induced hand.

"Ow!" Taizo-Taizo cupped his bruised cheek which I didn't need to heal.

"Oh hush, Cat-chan. I got Soma-san for you." I thumbed the sad looking Uchiha who was enduring my pain for the past minutes. Taizo stared at his Sensei who was reduced to whining and quiet groaning as the snakes tightened their hold. It seems he was still struggling or they really did not like Uchihas. "Dang, girl. For a kid, you don't mess around."

I smirked.

"Any case, here it goes." He did his special hand seal and, with ease and pin point accuracy which restricting his target helped, he possessed Soma. I caught his body in my tiny six year old arms and propped him next to the damp tree.

"Owowowow, Snake-chan release me! This is no joke!" Taizo-Soma complained on the verge of tears.

Ah, so he really was successful. I wouldn't mistake that whiny tone for anyone else.

I walked near him and patted on the anacondas. "its fine you guys, you're dismissed. Good job." I whispered. The muscly reptiles dipped their head at me before poofing into a cloud.

Taizo-Soma rolled his shoulders and twisted his body, bones popping satisfyingly. After that he began frisking his sensei's body. "Hey, you have good eyes. Use them. Those snakes made me feel numb."

I rolled my eyed and activated my Byakugan without a word, _not using it to see how big of a ninja Uchiha Soma was_. I dug my hand into his back pocket, got the scroll and held it tightly. "Got it," I waved the scroll in his face, his Sharingan following it with every move.

"Returning to my body, now." He announced.

"Hold up." I pocketed the scroll and did a regular Binding Snake Glare Spell. "You can never be too careful." Taizo nodded in agreement. The loose anacondas tightened their hold when Soma staggered. His eyes blinked back to black (which was easily seen in the dark thanks to my veiny eyes) and winced.

"Are you going to take the scroll back, sensei?" Taizo teased, waving the scroll at the poor man's face. He was wisely not looking directly at his eyes.

"I won't. Tokina-chan..." He whimpered, calling my name in that irritating voice of his.

Damn, he knew all my weaknesses.

With a sigh and a clap of my hands, the snakes dismissed themselves. The man staggered forward, we didnt risk it and backed away. Taizo clutched the scroll like it was a life line while I kept a defensive Jyūken stance and let some snakes pop out from all my sleeves.

"You pass, now calm down." Soma raised his hands in surrender.

"I still don't trust him." Taizo glared.

I nodded whole heartedly.

"What if this is a test?" I voiced out my suspicion.

"A healthy suspicion is what keeps ninja alive most of the time but this is borderline paranoia!" He exclaimed.

We both stared at each other and nodded.

"Mind Body Switch!"

* * *

I rubbed my head, pouting as we walked through Konoha. Day break was looming for us three, Soma, Taizo and me while we tried to find an open food stall. Soma bonked us hard on the head for our attempt of revenge. I mean, who would trust a sadistic Uchiha with a borderline split personality? Especially if they were testing you on Infiltration, stealth and survival where rule number one was to _never trust anybody unless he is your teammate but even then, prepare to backstab_. Uchiha Soma was not my teammate for the test hence the suspicion.

It wasn't my fault that Taizo completely agreed with me.

We sat at a late night diner. It must have been a sight to see, three people of varying ages, all ruffled, dirty walk into a relatively clean and probably civilian run establishment. The young waiter smiled at us, probably all to used to with the whole shonobi thing. Maybe this was the reason why they open this early. Who knows?

Whatever, free food was free food.

Even if it did come from a hax character that threatened our purity and chastity.

We ordered our food and when the waiter was gone, Taizo groaned next to me before his head banged to the table.

"That's rude, you know." I poked his ear. He swatted my finger away, groaning a curse or something.

Soma (who I still felt a little petty for raping me figuratively) smiled at our antics but said nothing more. We all looked like such stereotypes for our clan with Soma having the Uchiha black hair, eyes and fair skin. Taizo having the sharp blue eyes, long silky hair and the fondness for the color purple and me with the lavender eyes and dark, borderline black hair with equally silky and shiny hair. It really didn't help us stand out from our clan but hey, I had snakes, Taizo has cats and I'm sure some other Uchiha's weren't as...passionate as teaching like Soma here is.

It was a strange team but it was a team that works.

* * *

AN.

Why does this fanfic editor keep on erasing spaces and my dashes? But its a minor inconvenience so it's fine.

I feel like I should apologize for the pacing of this story even if nobody is complaining. I dunno, I feel like there are people that say "Oh my god, when is the good shit going to happen" but are too kind or too shy to PM me or leave a review so 'll just say sorry for that. I haven't been attacked or anything but I just feel like its a problem because 21 chapters and we aren't even close to coming to Kannabi yet :'), Patience will be much appreciated!

Enjoy life! :)

(P.S I feel like I left some line breaks somewhere so sorry about that but I really can't find it so sorry about that. FF deleting my dashes which are the equivalent of linebreaks to me in my phone :') )


	22. Chapter 22: Butterfly Effect 1

AN.

First off, I just want to say THANK YOU FOR THE FAVES, FOLLOWS AND REVIEWS.

Like, I know it ain't much compared to some but it means a lot to me. I feel very honored that there are some people out there that take time to type in theories about this fic, typed in what they thought about it and typed in what they felt in a chapter. It's very humbling and always makes me feel very giddy.

WARNING: Same things as last time, dark humor, violence etc. etc. OH AND MAJOR TIME SKIP! I glazed through her life with Soma and Taizo so we can finally experience more _plot_.

Tokina: 8 (Because her birthday is at December)

Obito's Batch (Kakashi, Rin, Gai etc.): 9

Tokuma: 2

Those are the important ages. Anyway, enjoy.

* * *

"Hey, baby!"

"Blay Bvwayvve!"

"Say, Tokina!"

"Rokwinba!"

"To-ki-na!"

"Ro-kwin-ba!"

I pouted at the rebellious little shit in front of me. two year old and already not following orders from his big sister! They grow up so fast! Sometimes, I wish he didn't. That would mean that he had to undergo the whole "activate your Byakugan" thing which I now learned that there _was_ some kind of genjutsu when you take the test to draw out all your negative energy. I didn't know the details but looking back at it, it _did_ seem a tad bit strange that I took my dad's pain too personal. I would _now_ but before? The best I could do is beg Mr. Clan Leader to ease up on the cluster-headache. Tokuma, the little angel he is who is unaware of his big sister's dark reminiscing, poked my nose and giggled, which made me giggle and that enticed my mom, who was teaching Rin something, to giggle as well. It brightened up the room considerably. Rin smiled at our antics but remained silent, absorbing the information like a sponge. He crawled up to my lap and stared wide eyed at Obito.

"How 'bout me, Tokuma? Say, Obito!"

"Obwibwi!"

"Oh-bi-to!"

"Obwibwi!"

The Uchiha sighed and scratched his head irritably while the little bundle of sunshine on my lap tugged my home Yukata like it was the best thing in the world. I squealed at his cuteness, ushering a weird look from Obito while I glomped my baby brother who was enjoying my affection. "Akane-san, you might want to get a refund. Your baby is broken."

"Nonsense, Obito. He just does not like you, isn't that right, little Tokuma-chan?" My mom raised her head while healing the fish, paying it no mind like the show-off professional medic-nin she was. Rin widened her eyes, noticing this was no small feat but continued to remain silent.

"I was actually talking about Veggie-chan." Obito smirked at me. Seriously, he's eight and I'm seven now. The least he could do is _mature_. Call me insensitive but I personally believe that it doesn't take ten-ton boulders and a life or death situation to at least give yourself a better sense of humor. Nick names? Honey, when you were my age, you'd be insulting someone's mother, grandmother and the umbilical cord that her mother's grandmother was connected to.

I mocked gasped and covered Tokuma's ears even though my planned response wasn't so PG-13 either. "Obito, I think you should leave. You're being a bad influence to Kuma-kun."

He rolled his eyes and kidnapped the baby from me with speed I didn't know he had. "Bad influence? Me?! I'm the best-est most kind-est older brother ever! At least I use his name instead of some lame pet name. A man needs his dignity!" Obito puffed up his none-existent chest and raised his nose haughtily. "Isn't that right, Tokuma-kun?"

"Obutto! Obutto!"

I snickered, earning an unjustified glare from the 'Obutto.' "Very good, Kuma-kun!"

* * *

Our fist missions as Team Soma? It was success and a tiny bit easy. Retrieve that, steal that, and assassinate this. It was like they were treating us like back up ANBU. We got pretty familiar with our techniques and fighting styles, as well as making strategies and formations using Mind Body Possession, Sharingan genjutsu and Snakes and Butterflies (since taijutsu was noisy). It's been a full year since we were thrown into the blender known as "team selection" and out came this mess.

We were a very successful team, three clan members that didn't seem to have synergy with each other somehow made it work. Sure, there were close calls and some situations we could have avoided but we were humans, we made mistakes. I didn't have the strength to do most stuff a ninja _should_ be capable of, Taizo didn't have the sharp wits to make a plan and Soma didn't have the creativity to make an operation that didn't involve explosives, silent or otherwise. Yes, that's right; the Sharingan can make _silent explosions._ Add that to the top ten reasons why Orochimaru is justified in being an Uchiha pedophile.

But when a team with a genin didn't seem to make as many mistakes compared to others, the Hokage just said fuck it and promoted me to Chunin.

Chunin at age eight,

Very, very underwhelming,

Apparently, it wasn't an uncommon practice to promote capable genin to become chunin. The anime portrayed the whole thing like a job opportunity. It wasn't mandatory, you could decline or accept. But in the anime, there wasn't a goddamn war. Most of the genins I fought in the chunin exams were chunin now, by the way. Men (and women, I have to represent somehow) are a dwindling resource that we cannot afford to expend these days. With the new addition of Kiri joining the fray, the Hokage needs all the little soldiers he can get.

I had experience under my belt, I was mentored under one of _the_ Sanin and has his summon to prove it, I belong to a prestigious clan and I know basic medical-ninjutsu. Call me a narcissist but I was the textbook example of _when_ to promote someone to chunin at a young age. What they _didn't_ know is that I had a lot of baggage that would put S-Rank ANBU to shame, I'm probably a little bit crazy and I _really_ don't like this village.

But hey, this is mandatory. What are you going to do about it? Become Hokage and change the system?

Yeah right! I'm not a boy. The genre is _called_ " _shounen"_ for a reason.

So why the fuck am I _not_ in the kitchen making a sandwich for the superior gender?

Hell, if I knew.

My promotion ushered a new clusterfuck of problems, though. Like this suicidal mission he shoved down our throats.

A fucking A-Rank into the depths of Kiri.

You know, the rank were failure was not an option and refusing was a great dishonor?

Why?

Konoha needed to confirm if "hey were actually going to join Iwa just because we took the majority of their clan members they DIDN'T EVEN WANT! Oh, and maybe some top-secret plans and files here and there if we're feeling frisky. Oh, no biggie, we'll just invite ourselves in. Thank you for your consideration. Love, Konoha."

Konoha is getting desperate, relying on _us_ to get results.

The war is taking its obvious toll on us. On Konoha, rather. I wasn't sure if this was canon or not because I sure as hell knew that there were no Ice Release users in the anime _in Konoha's side_. The streets weren't as happy and energetic as they used to be. Rin and Obito told me that the academy is putting them in a lot of pressure, that when they graduate, they'll either be high genin or low chunin when they get out. I didn't know what kind of training they were getting into but it probably broke the "Right to relax" right we had going on. Pfff, like we _ever_ use that right to defend ourselves.

We ran back to the familiar Land of Mud. When we got there, we hid and schemed for a way to get into Kiri unnoticed which was hard because they were on an island.

Which required a lot of chakra just to walk there,

Which we needed if we wanted to stay there and _live_ ,

We laid low in one of the local inns, the war making the poverty ridden town look even more of a sorry excuse of a village. It was tense, windows shut, doors locked and it reeked "Go away or I will stab you."

It was generally uninviting to guests and tourists.

We began navigating through the village, finding schedules for fishing boats, maybe a few ferries for supplies here and there but no, Kiri was inaccessible unless you had Hirashin, Kamui or some other hax Time-Space Ninjutsu like reverse summoning.

Which Soma did _not_ approve of because we were literally volunteering to go inside enemy lines. It was understandable. I only suggested it to save face if he was going to tease us about it after the mission. So we were stumped into getting into Kiri that day.

So we did what Soma trained is for.

Patience, stealth and information gathering. We needed a way and we can't just bail on this mission despite my _wanting to pass it to someone more responsible_. I didn't know what would happen if we deny a S-rank mission but I know its along the lines of "dishonor, black-listed, public shame despite it being a _private_ mission and a pay-cut." We might stumble upon secret documents or plans or any other missive. We just needed a confirmation that Kiri does not want to be friends and we can wage war with them however we see fit. If they wanted to try and kill us then...

Please don't.

I've got so much to live for, even with all this war and bullshit. I have two best friends who I want to protect, a baby brother who I want to see grow up and charm women and a mother who I thought I lost once which I deeply love to go back home to. So I had to kill a few people? I'll kill anyone if they want to mess with them.

I know, what a drastic change from the girl that didn't want to stab _anybody_. Well, this was war and even if Orochimaru was the worst person in this universe he did teach me one thing. "Dead weight is a dead person. Be useless for an entire lifetime but know that you have the potential of power if you live." It was one of the things that stuck to me. I imprinted myself on my family which was selfish of me. I didn't know if I saw them as _people_ anymore but as _objects_ I wanted to keep and come home to so I had an excuse to live. If I thought about it too hard, it makes me feel bad and scummy which I probably am but in this line of work, you can't afford to _not_ have the will to live.

Just a few reservations and guilt trips and maybe some prescription Anti-Depressants sprinkled here and there and I'll make this world a world I can live on.

* * *

I curled up next in the dark corner of the boat, the gentle rocking and the waves crashing down the giant tanker making my ears hurt. The general cold and metal atmosphere wasn't doing so well for me, a summoner of reptiles and insects that thrived on the heat and summer. That was the whole reason why I continued to wear this ninja hakama that the Hyūga insits on making me wear. If it was my choice, I'd be a basic bitch and go shorts and thigh high ninja boots. Imagine me, the owner of Tadashi—the most fashionable snake ever—slutting it up and wearing _opened toed boots_. How repulsive and sickening.

That didn't stop me from my general hate for cold which was a slight shame because I remembered rolling in the bed in absolute _bliss_ when it was raining or when my parents decided to use the Air Conditioner because we were the poor asian family that relied on twenty or more electric fans daily.

Using Soma's handsomeness, charms and of course his Sharingan, we managed to smuggle ourselves in a metal boat that delivered all kinds of shit like supplies to the otherwise stranded Kiri. I remember loving the ocean once upon a time. The gentle breeze and the waves crashing down one another on the sand was one of the memories I hold dear to me since I don't see the tropical life anymore.

I also remembered how I drowned myself to death and my hate of boats.

The gentle rocking…was too gentle.

Road trips are relaxing with its rough ups and downs but boats? The salt and the rocking is just…no.

That did a toll on my enthusiasm which Soma did not approve off. Now he had two students who didn't like water. Taizo inherited his fear of water thanks to the cat contract while I also "inherited" my fear of water because some girlie killed herself all because of some stupid job. Me and Taizo huddled together for warmth and comfort while Soma, being the exasperated but daddy bear he was, protected his exposed and weak children until the sad, sad ordeal was over.

Not the mission, the rocking. He can't protect us from ourselves when we're out in the field. He learned that lesson the hard way in the Land of Hot Springs

"Are we there yet?" Taizo muttered against to me, suffering sea sickness as well. Soma shook his head in displeasure but said nothing. A quick flash from my Byakugan and the distance was revealed to me in a flash.

"Not yet. A few more hours, maybe." I reported with dejection, sick of the swaying of the boat.

Taizo groaned and rest his head on mine. I did the same with his shoulder and closed my eyes. Besides, with my Byakugan, I didn't even need my eyes open to see. I can see through my eye lids anyway. It just require a bunch more chakra than usual. A single butterfly landed on top of my head and numbed the pain, making me drowsy.

Taking the risk, I fell asleep.

Me and Taizo managed to get in through Kiri's border security with Reverse Summoning, much to the Uchiha's displeasure.

I have no idea how Soma, the six foot giant he is, managed to sneak in.

He just smirked at our designated hiding spot with his red eyes before blinking back to his usual black.

Sharingan defies logic, man.

Its borderline unfair,

Kiri was crowded, damp with perpetual mist, tense and very unwelcoming. Not to mention the bleak colors and how all the people in here are either pale, has too much make-up on or looks like they want to kill you. That or an unholy combination of the three. I didn't know what to expect from the sparse screen-time Naruto gave Kiri. It looked like an eastern version of London with the mist and maze-like roads.

Kind of like The Land of Mud,

Poor Land of Mud, never asked to be with such douchebag neighbors.

We did a quick Transformation jutsu, quickly bought disguises, changed in them in one of the darker corners of Kiri and undid our Transformation.

Now there was a problem. Soma, with his black hair and black eyes looked absolutely normal, all he needed to do was wear traditional Kiri shit and that would do. The same goes for Taizo with his brunette and blue eyes looking ass.

I would have looked normal if it wasn't for my distinct _really_ light lavender eyes.

That wasn't the problem; it could easily be solved with contacts.

The problem was, Kiri did not have contacts.

We huddled together near a bush disguised as children just in case we were discovered. Children plotting in a bush weren't as dangerous as a man in his twenties, a teen and a legitimate child was.

"Maybe wrap bandages around Snake-chan's eyes and feign blindness?" Taizo suggested.

"That would attract too much attention." Soma rebuked. "I didn't see any sun glasses in any shop around here."

"It's already too dark in this place. Why would the market demand sunglasses, anyway?" I reasoned. "I doubt they even see the sun through this fog." I snorted. And they wonder why their economy is on an all time low! Misty environment and tense atmosphere is not good for tourism as well as being stranded on a deserted island I might add. It's such a hassle to get here as well. Maybe add some sort of center at the Land of Mud or something; an embassy of some sorts.

Why am I worrying about their economy when I should be worrying about my life? Mei will take care of it, for now I need to mask my eyes and get through this.

"I don't like the idea of you shadowing us when there are more able sensors here. We are in war after all." Soma whispered thoughtfully. I nodded in agreement, not wanting to risk my life when a few dress changes here and there could make all the difference.

"I've seen people with hot pink eyes around here. I'm sure lavender will be okay." Taizo shrugged.

"Not when it's almost white. _Hyūga_ white."

Taizo pursed his lips in annoyance.

I threw my hands up in the air, sick of hiding for two goddamn days. A stakeout usually didn't last this long. It usually lasted about one to two weeks but we were so deep in enemy territory that we just _couldn't_ risk overstaying our visit. "You know what? Get me the bandages. The faster we do this the faster we can go home and I can eat Cat-kun's chocolate cake in my fridge."

Said Whiskers raised an eyebrow and smiled. "You still haven't finished it?" He questioned while Soma sighed, giving me the gauze and bandages. I prepared the items, smirking at the Yamanaka.

I raised an eyebrow and said. "Are you kidding? You could feed the whole Academy with the serving you gave me. It took a whole section of the fridge by itself."

* * *

"Uh...sir? May we see your daughter's..."

"No, you may not." Soma glared at the inn keeper while he carried my bandaged self. We had a lot of cover identities, one of them was me being a sickly little girl, blind and motherless with Soma being a rich noble trying to find a cure for his daughter's disease with Taizo being a dependable son. The act prompted me to be as annoyingly cute as possible. I whimpered loudly next to him and tugged on his nose. "Look here, I didn't travel all the way to Kiri so some _poor_ sap can make fun of my daughter!" I head Soma-Daddy sneer.

"Sir, I wasn't-"

"She almost died out there!" Soma raged. "Not only is this place bleak and barren, but the weather isn't doing anything for my daughter! The least you could do as an Inn keeper was to offer us nobles that _give you the money to live_ is to give us a room to stay in!"

I didn't know what was going on because I didn't want to risk people seeing my veins under the gauze and bandages and a potential chakra signature in my eyes. What I _do_ know is that Soma was being scary with all the killing intent he was giving to the inn keeper we were harassing. I knew there were some Kiri-nin lounging in here by how they were whispering profanities to the inn keeper, voiding their village of much needed resources.

I could practically _feel_ the air of the inn keeper waving his hands like it was fanning out the killing intent from Soma. "Sir, no-"

"Well, maybe I should take my business elsewhere. Konoha looks like it's hospitable to us _nobles_ and _mission-givers_." Soma snarked haughtily. That one statement earned glares from the Kiri-nin who was lounging at the desk. I knew they were glares because I'm pretty sure that people don't smile when you release _that_ much killing intent. The poor old man shuddered at the killing intent while us three remained blissfully ignorant.

"Come on, Taki-kun, let's go. Maybe some other Hidden Village will help us find the herb to help your sister." Daddy-Soma began stomping slowly to the door of the inn.

You could literally see, even without the Byakugan, the dark aura of the Kiri-nin inside the Inn, all ganging up on the Inn keeper. Taizo, who disguised a snicker with a cough, began to count down next to me to himself as we walked to the door in a _painfully_ and _unrealistically_ slow pace.

"Three..."

"Two..."

"One..."

And, as if Taizo actually planned for this, the old man screeched on top of his lungs with a forced smile and a sweaty forehead. "Wait!"

I felt Soma smirk.

* * *

"I still can't believe you actually got us a free stay at a five star Inn with FREE dinner!" Taizo exclaimed once I slammed the last silencing seal on the room which Taizo provided for the mission because I had _no_ talent in fūinjutsu whatsoever. It had three real and comfy looking beds, a mini fridge with food (free of charge, of course) and a really nice looking bathroom. For a poor village, they really know how to treat their guests with Five-Star hospitality. I unwrapped the bandages and blinked at the unhindered vision. I hoped that those bandages and gauzes won't mark my face. My eyes felt dry and needed water ASAP.

Soma smirked humbly but remained silent as we made ourselves home (and checked for traps and poisons from the fridge.) I activated my Byakugan, he activated his Sharingan and I knew Taizo was using his sensor powers to spot for any traps that the two great dōjutsu couldn't see.

"Clean." I said once I did a Byakugan sweep on the room.

"Clean." Soma announced even though I had better eyes than him.

"I don't sense anything out of the ordinary." Taizo shrugged.

Soma motioned us forward, unrolling one of the updated map of Kiri the _helpful_ man gave us. "Then let's begin." He said, leader mode on. We began planning our subterfuge, with butterflies, snake and cats all doing reconnaissance as we do so.

* * *

It was the third week in Kiri and thanks to the three summons, we knew exactly where to strike. The intelligence division was heavily guarded, and as per usual, some floors and rooms more than others. It was obviously designed to confuse people and make hiding harder for us with all the doorways and narrow hallways but the whole "five people guarding a single room" was counterintuitive to that scheme they were trying to pull off.

That didn't stop my Byakugan from knowing where to go and Taizo's Mind Body Possession to stop any Kiri-nin that went our way. A quick Mind Body Possession to the unsuspecting victim, wrap in venomous vipers, let Taizo go back to his body, Soma covering the man's mouth and let the venom do its work.

We were at the hallway of the Fifth and final floor when I activated my Byakugan to see the infrastructure "Third hallway from the left is heavily guarded." I reported, my back facing the two men while I leaned on the wall. "There are a bunch of cabinets in there with another guard. The two are water natured and the third one is lightning. High Leveled Chunin or Jonin leveled, I can't really-"

One of them had blue hair, an eyepatch and strange talisman earrings. Using my Byakugan, I could tell he had the Byakugan, too.

My mind went blank.

There weren't a lot of Hyūgas outside the village and I knew my mom said that there was one man that got my dad's eye before his seal was alive.

"Tokina?" Soma put his hand on my shoulder which made me flinch.

I _wanted_ to get the eye from that man and return it to my mother for _some form_ of closure. I've seen how late she works for us and how many tears she shed while holding Tokuma in her arms. I couldn't help but think that I really did inherit some of my mom's habits like tilting our heads to the side and shoving our will to live to specific people. Sadly, I knew that I couldn't get personal with _this_ kind of mission since it was too risky.

It didn't stop my chest from feeling heavy, though.

"The man guarding that room needs to be apprehended immediately. He has the Byakugan." I reported after a while, trying to keep my cool. I clasped my hands together as butterflies poured out of my sleeves. "I can't risk a genjutsu since he might be able to see through it."

The two other boys looked shocked at the revelation. They knew better _not_ to spout a loud "WHAT, WHY DOES HE HAVE THE BYAKUGAN?" Instead, they tensed and Soma's mind began to form a plan. "Taizo, use your Mind-Body Switch technique to possess the man and lead him to us. Since the man as the Byakugan, I'll deal with him this time. I'll use my Sharingan to put him into a quick genjutsu. Tokina, use your vipers to quickly kill him and maybe take his eye back for the leaf. After that, we'll engage on the two other guards." Soma ordered us.

We nodded and the plan proceeded.

"Mind Body Switch," Taizo muttered at the edge of the corner. I readied my vipers as Soma caught the stumbling Yamanaka. Using my Byakugan, I could see how the man with my dad's eye stumbled and muttered something to the man apologetically and began walking to our direction. The guard smiled at him and called the third one from the room, substituting the blue haired man's position. Soma quickly prepared his Sharingan and when Kiri-Taizo was fully hidden on our corner, Taizo went back to his original body as the strong Anacondas began wrapping themselves around his body. Soma steadied the man and placed him under a quick genjutsu before he could so much scream.

"Tokina, can you handle him?" Soma said as I stared at the sleeping man strewn across me. I nodded and gave him a tight-lipped smile. "I can, Soma-taichou. Let's do this quickly."

Soma returned the smile and nodded. He motioned to Taizo who readied his chakra-claws. His nails glowed an opaque blue and extended to reach his calves. He readied into a low position as Soma prepared his silent explosion seals and reactivated his Sharingan. I planted two butterflies in them as a make-shift walkie-talkie before they charged in. I heard a clash of metal and a muffled explosion before I faced the man with blue hair, or as the anime called him, Ao. It really should have guessed. My dad _was_ the man with the best Byakugan in all of Hyūga which could see every little detail and memorize the chakra color of a person. Ao had that ability in the anime _and_ manga. A few quick guesses here and there and I could easily arrive to the conclusion that _Naruto_ Ao canonically stole my dad's eye in the war.

That saddened me.

But I have a sick duty to fulfill.

I didn't want to risk killing him and sealing the Byakugan in my dad's eye. He could very well make a budget-Caged Bird Seal for all I knew. With my knowledge, I knew that he had great skills in fūinjutsu (like my dad) and if he made this talisman earrings then he _must_ be in the level of sealing the Byakugan from the inside. I prepared a kunai and, with _much_ hesitation, I plunged for the eyepatch. It made a loud _clang_ noise as the metal talisman-earrings blocked my own steel. I pursed my lips in thought.

"You know, Ao-san." I whispered, trying to make drown my nervousness with speech. I finally figured out why most villains monologue before battle. Even the most arrogant ones are nervous; trying to babble their inner anxiety out was a common practice and a bad habit that I'm forming. You wouldn't see me babble to a live opponent but with what I'm about to do? You could give me a break. I activated my Byakugan to check for Kiri-nin and the progress of the fight Soma and Taizo were in. They were doing fine and there were no Kiri-nin in this floor.

"Your skills in fūinjutsu really are something if you managed to make earrings that protect dad's eye. Talisman earrings. Wow." I praised, continuing to talk to myself. My snakes tightened their grip on him, sensing my nervousness. The problem was that he had Talisma- _Earings_ to protect him. If those were connected to his ears then the solution would be to just cut off his ears. A gruesome idea, and an idea Orochimaru would approve of but I really didn't have a choice in the matter. I summoned two snakes to do the dirty work for me. When they positioned, I closed my eyes to prepare the gore that was about to happen.

I wasn't a gory person, unlike my two other teammates that preferred eviscerating and explosions. I used poison, suffocation and internal organ damage. Those had minimal bleeding. Call me a pussy for being a tad bit squeamish despite me killing people since _it was my job to do_. It took a whole year _and_ Soma's tutoring to finally get over that hurdle. When I did, there was a steady increase of jobs and progress. I just had to identify them as _objects_ instead of living, breathing people. You know, like a goddamn _sociopath_. With this situation, however, you couldn't help but take this a _little_ bit personally. He stole my dad's goddamn eye for God's sake. Before I could tug his ear (much to my irritation since I finally got the courage to do it), by the corner of my enhanced eyesight, I could see Kiri-nin coming into the floor.

I clicked my tongue and pocketed my kunai. "We have company." I whispered to the butterfly-mouth piece. There was silence on their part before Soma piped up.

"Take care of them, we found a lot of things to sort out. Give us five minutes."

I sighed and rolled my shoulders as I prepared another HSSH before doing a Camouflage Jutsu on my right hand. The giant anacondas slithered by to my sleeves, leaving an unconscious Ao. I tensed and readied a stance as I hear their foot-steps getting louder, letting Akinosuke mask Ao with a genjutsu. I took in a deep breath and tried my best to calm myself. I was invisible; they couldn't see me unless they were sensors. I felt the cold muscles of the snakes I summoned to prepare a Hidden Shadow Snake Hands tense and coil around my arm almost reassuringly.

They were idly chatting before they noticed the Hunter-nin unconscious on the floor when they turned to our little corner.

"Ao-san!" The younger one ran to him before being restrained by older one. My Byakugan quickly locked on to their chakra. I could tell the younger man was a ninjutsu specialist by the quality of his chakra, he had an aptitude with Water-Release like the rest of his brethren. I could tell the older one was a kenjutsu specialist, judging by the sword on the older man's back and the two daggers on his belt. "Hold on, something's wrong." Kenjutsu-san glared at the spot Ao was, which I masked with a quick genjutsu.

Possible sensor type?

He needs to be apprehended first.

The snakes streaked through with incredible speed. The older man pushed the younger man out of the way and, if you blinked, you would have missed the streaks of light coming from his katana as he sliced through my snakes like spaghetti. Not an eloquent comparison, I know, but the one thing they did share was the shape and how they made the room red when you slash at them.

"Who's there?! Yosuke, code red!" The older and more experienced one of the two ushered the younger one. He looked overwhelmed before giving him a nod.

"We've been compromised." I whispered urgently to the butterfly-mouthpiece for Soma and Taizo to hear before biting both of my fingers. I dropped the Camouflage Jutsu and slammed my hands down the metal floor as two black seals erupted from the ground.

"Summoning: Sudden Snake Glare Spell!"

The boas crawled inside the thick metal like it was dirt, making the man tense but nothing happened. As long as I can see the target, they can see it to which was made even more versatile with my Byakugan. The boy who was running to wherever he was going to tripped when a snake out of nowhere wrapped its coils around his ankle. He tried to scream before another hissed and wrapped itself in his mouth like a gag. Another chose to constrict him by the neck.

Three more nins saw him, two tried helping while the other one ran.

Shit.

I couldn't risk not giving the kenjutsu specialist my undivided attention if he managed to slash my snakes like that instead of trapping the witnesses.

The older man came to the conclusion that he wasn't the target and glared at me by the way I slowly readied a Jyūken stance.

"This isn't over." The man snarled as he readied an unfamiliar kenjutsu stance.

"I believe it is." Soma said behind me, his Sharingan whirring. He tensed and made the fatal mistake of looking at his eyes. He stumbled and slumped to the ground unconscious. Taizo ran up to him and finished the job by slitting his throat with his chakra claws.

"Done?" I rushed to them.

"Yes, let's go." Soma said tensely before eyeing Ao. He looked at me but I shook my head.

"We don't have time for this! We need to go!" I insisted, leaving the man with my dad's eye to live.

"If you say so," He nodded and we ran. That was my outward reasoning while I thought of all the things I would do to him if I ever met him in the battle field. Taizo gave me a concerned look but said nothing as we ran with full speed.

* * *

Kiri—the normally dead village—was now active at the blares of alarms that told they have been successfully infiltrated by uknown-nin

We planted a few Iwa-shaped shurien but the amount of snake bodies spoke louder. We made sure to hide our forehead protectors and our disguises were still in place before we began this mission but the Sharingan and snakes were pretty much a trademark skills of Konoha since Orochimaru was still part of the village (for now) .

It was understandable that they were under lock down to prevent the infiltrators from escaping. That didn't make out lives easier, though.

We walked _casually_ through the damp and wet streets of Kiri. Well they walked, I was being carried by Daddy-Soma with bandages around my eyes. He held me tightly, a little bit too tight for my liking. It was probably due to the fact that I didn't do my job properly and I failed to make sure we weren't caught. It was ironic how the girl with the Byakugan had some form of tunnel vision going on. I am _so_ going to be in trouble the moment we step out of this God-forsaken island. _If_ we step out of this God-forsaken island, that is. Why was it even called Land of Water when it was 10% Land and 90% Water? It should just be called water period.

"Hey, you three!"

The boys stepped it up a bit. Just play it cool you guys.

"Stop!"

Ah shit.

Soma clicked his tongue and ran faster. I unwrapped the bandages around my eyes, Byakugan already active. Now being carried like a potato sack, I had a clear view of the pursuers. "Two Kiri-nin, about chunin level in terms of chakra levels, both water natured."

"I got this." Taizo told us. Soma pursed his lips while I clasped my hands and summoned an array of butterflies and snakes that fluttered and streaked through the air from the holes of my hakama. The nin panicked at this, slashed through the snakes and quickly broke through the genjutsu that they were immediately placed on. I clicked my tongue at the failed interception of my summons, Soma taking notice of this and nodded to Taizo, his blue, slit eyes gleaming in sadistic anticipation as his claws formed.

"Go to the docks after. We'll be waiting." Is what Soma told the slightly sadistic Yamanaka before throwing me forward. I positioned myself mid-air and landed on my feet and continued to run with Soma. More Kiri-nin intercepted our front, throwing shuriken and kunai at us. I rolled away an incoming volley of shuriken and kunai and Soma did the same.

"Everyone get out of the way! Water Release: Water Trumpet!" warned the Kiri-nin to the civilians.

With cupped hands, he blew out gushing water, as the civilians moved out of the way in fright and panic.

"Eight Triagrams: Vacuum Wall!" With both hands thrusting forward, the water pushed at the opposite direction forcefully. The man choked on his own water before being hit by his own jutsu. Soma smirked at me before quickly doing hand seals for a Fire Release jutsu as we continued running. He breathed in and released fiery death on those who were behind us. They did another Water Trumpet jutsu which caused the fire to turn into harmless steam. Soma threw three kunai with paper bombs tied to their end to maybe blow them to smithereens. The pursuers deflected those with ease with their own swords.

Fuck.

"Follow me," Soma commanded, jumping to the roof of a house. I pursued him and ran for it. I bit my hand, mid jump from the roof while dodging shuriken and kunai. With a clap, I summoned butterflies that immediately intercepted the prusuers in genjutsu. The four men that were chasing me immediately were replaced with five. When Soma threw one of his more _destructive_ bombs at them, the five chunks that were the Kiri were now replaced with a full battalion, consisting of ten Kiri-nin. We ran faster, throwing senbon and kunai whenever I can as I did the seals for Camouflage while Soma continued trying to make makeshift smokescreens with his explosive kunai.

We hopped through border security, snakes hissing through the air as they ravaged the sensor nins that were guarding the gate and using them as a makeshift grappling hook. My snake bit firmly on a boat and dragged me to it. Soma, instead, hopped on top of my giant anaconda that I used as a grappling hook and ran faster than it can retract. We both made it to the escape vehicle on time.

"Where's Taizo?!" Soma growled, throwing explosive kunai at Kiri, hoping to kill at least one. I summoned the largest snakes from Ryuchi Cave, the ones as big as the boat we were in to ravage the nin. Using the three large snakes as a distraction, I used my Byakugan to try and get a visual on Taizo while I lamented on forgetting to plant a butterfly so we could talk to him. It was pretty easy to find the brunette covered in blood with his blue arms slashing and hacking his way through Kiri.

"There!" I pointed, a lengthy snake immediately coming out of my arm to Taizo's direction while I held the railing of the boat. "Taizo, grab on!" I shouted, the Yamanaka throwing me a grateful look and grabbing on to the snake with its scales. The snake immediately retracted with Taizo on hand. I threw him up in the air as he fell to the boat.

"STEP ON IT!" Taizo screeched while he threw kunai and shuriken at our pursuers who were now water walking. Soma ran to the steering wheel and literally _stepped_ on it. The boat whirled to life.

That was when I felt a wet hand clasp around my ankle.

I gasped and my head immediately shot to the white haired kid with hot pink eyes and sharp teeth.

"Hōzuki!" I screamed, throwing a multitude of snakes at him. It didn't deter him from pulling me from the railing and down to the water.

"No!" Was what I muttered when my body met the sea. It was so cold. I couldn't breathe.

There were so _many bubbles._

 _Strawberry scented bath accessories that masked the salty tears._

 _I didn't regret it at that moment. I didn't know if I was thinking straight or if my alcoholic tendencies finally got the better of me. Who knew what was in my mind back then when I sunk down that strawberry scented bath with bubbles that could irritate your eyes. I closed my eyes, of course. I needed to get used to the darkness since that_ is _where I was going to._

 _But I knew, at that very moment, all I could think of back then was..._

 _"Finally,"_

* * *

AN.

I swear it is _pure coincidence_ that a ceirtain theory (omfg someone left a theory for my fic, I'm so shook) will be addressed next chapter. Not saying if your right and wrong. I'm deciding if I should double post (AKA post tomorrow) since my computer decided to work again. I don't know, I have shit ton of things to study for but who knows. Constructive critisicm will be MUCH APPRECIATED because next chapter is _angsty_ and y'all know how I write my angst.

bad.

Enjoy life! :)


	23. Chapter 23: Butterfly Effect 2

AN.

Welp, here we are. This was a bitch to edit because Orochimaru is a bitch of a character and writing angst is hard. I was supposed to do the final edit tomorrow but decided to do it now since the college admission results are tomorrow and I wanted to spend the entire day either celebrating or moping (probably the latter) so enjoy.

WARNING: Mention of torture, implied rape, and (badly written[?]) angst.

* * *

Orochimaru walked back into Konoha. With all the recent mail from the messenger birds and panicked toad summons he seemed to be receiving in his time away, their side was a losing side. He didn't appreciate being in the losing side. He was going to rule this village, sure, but Hiruzen should have known what the consequences were when he chose to fight for that little plot of land that was known as Land of Grass. It held no strategic vantage point, no resources that Konoha doesn't _already_ have and the Hidden Village of the land is just short of a joke. This war, like many others Konoha was part of couldn't be described eloquently unless they used the words _painfully_ and _pointless_ together in the same sentence. He couldn't understand the whole concept of it. He knew it but he failed to see it.

It was more of a fun past time, honestly.

Whatever gets him the most research materials and experiments, he supposed.

Now after that whole "You aren't fit to be sage!" bit from that oversized worm, he stole a bunch of scales and worked on his new cursed seal which he can now administer via his fangs. It was fairly easy, just bite, inject and then let the venom take over the host. He needed to test the survivability of this, though. The first test-subject of this seal, Tokina, after all suffered great lengths when he...gave the foundation of the seal to her so he couldn't very well just inject the venom willy-nilly and hope for the best. That's Jiraya's way of doing things. He knew better than to take caution to the wind. These things required time and effort, not something that can or cannot be handed out.

Ah, Tokina, he couldn't help but smile fondly; a demented kind of "fondly" but fondly nonetheless. It didn't take a genius to know that she wasn't like the other kids in the academy. There was something about her that caught his eye, and the display near the tree is what really pushed him to get the girl and to own her. Whether it was that perpetually tired looks that her lavender eyes gave that _no_ child should ever have or how utterly selfish she is despite all these ninjas claiming they're going to be the next _Hero of Konoha,_ the Snake-Sannin couldn't tell. His thoughts were ripped away from him when one of the passing children with the most forgettable face he could lay his eyes on saw this and took it as a sign to wave at him like they were best friends meeting at the farmer's market. He stopped himself from rolling his eyes before he waved back.

Where was he?

Oh right.

Tokina,

He was pleasantly surprised that she finally contracted the snakes so that she'll be tied down to _his_ name. He knew it would happen at some point but he couldn't help the surprise he felt when one of the snakes informed him at his stay at Ryuchi Cave. He knew there was potential in her. Potential he saw in himself, though she would adamantly deny this. They were both geniuses one way and another. Not in the traditional sense, of course. Her ninjutsu was laughable and her physical strength could rival that of a civilian toddler that only learned how to walk a few days ago. What she and him shared was something the rest of this idiotic world doesn't have, and that's the knowledge of how to live a life and knowing how to _keep it_. She was willing to be a deceive her own village, trick higher ups with that face that could make the Hokage swoon, the wit and charm her way to everyone's hearts to make sure that they'll protect her and what does she give them in return after their use is done? Nothing but a few low-grade medical-ninjutsu here and a slight twitch of her lips with that perpetual smile she hides behind there.

And most importantly—one of the traits he felt she would deny the moment he suggested it—she was power hungry.

It was subtle but he knew it was there. Training herself in the restricted techniques of Hyūga? Absorbing every little lesson he gave her? Contracting the butterflies when she barely knew who the contractor was or what they did? She was a glutton to the gourmet meal known as strength to a fault! Even more so than he is, and he was willing to break every single rule out there just to get a jutsu he so desperately _craves_. She would be perfect for the new Cursed Seal of Heaven which needed a strong determination to break your limits through any means, or maybe the Animal Seal that would be the foundation to the new seal he was constructing, a base line to a prototype Cursed Seal of Heaven. He knew she could withstand it.

She was his student after all.

He walked into his teacher's room with the thoughts of the young Hyūga. He didn't even bother knocking, just opening the door and walking in like he owned the place which he will, no doubt about it. It would only be natural that the student of the Hokage, no matter how foolish the man is, would inherit the same title.

Hiruzen tensed at his arrival. He raised an eyebrow. He was the one that requested him back in duty immediately. What is that so anxious about? There was another pair, an ANBU pair, Namikaze and Hatake and an Uchiha and a younger Yamanaka. It seems he walked in on a very important meeting. He took notice of an interesting blue eyed Yamanaka with soar eyes and a guilty looking Uchiha.

"Hiruzen-sensei, I have returned." He stated.

Hiruzen wasted no time.

"Orochimaru, your student has been taken in one of the prisons of Kiri." He bluntly stated. Orochimaru didn't even bat an eyelash at the Uchiha and Yamanaka who fidgeted nervously at the mention of her. It could easily be assumed that those were her _inept_ teammates who let his prized experiment slither from their so-called _protective_ hands.

Now, this; If he praised himself (which he did often) he would praise how unbreakable his mask and demeanor was. It was either a fake smile or a stoic and cold exterior. He let his mask crack only when something didn't follow accordingly to his suspicions and assumptions, which were almost always true. He planned everything and he foresaw most of it with his intelligence and diligence. He didn't let emotions rule him like most of his fellow comrades even when a ninja's job is to do just that. Sure, there were times when he would find himself shouting a name or a tear sliding down his cheek at times but it was almost always because of the stupidity of his peers. Like Tsunade's brat for example.

He definitely wasn't expecting this.

"What happened?" He hissed, narrowing his eyes. He needed her to be alive. She was (as stated by her) a valuable test subject. One of the test subjects he absolutely cannot replace since she _did_ survive the foundation of the new Cursed Seal of Heaven. She was an ideal back up body if his plan to possess a natural Sharingan were to fail. Byakugan, two summons and an above average chakra reserve for a Hyūga? The only drawback he could see was a child like body and ineptitude for elemental transformations. If not that then she could be one of his most powerful subordinates if he played his cards right with manipulation and subtle trickery.

Bottom line, she was invaluable to him.

And the Bloody Mist won't get in the way with that.

He'll make sure that village earned that title in the worst way possible.

* * *

It was a week of torture, interrogation and more torture. Being flayed for information I may or may not have, healed to withstand the disgusting and inhumane process, and preparing mentally for the grueling task all over again. They told me in the first day that there was special poison in the blades, making sure the injuries close but the scaring will be permanent, a psychological trick they used to make sure that we, the prisoners, will lose our morale if we ever get out of here and look at ourselves in the mirror. They threatened to take out my eyes, chop of my fingers, rip off my arms, turn me into a breeding cow and other threats that would have violated most ethics in war in the old world. I sadly believed them wholeheartedly and genuinely feared for my life.

It was ironic just when I was climbing back up, reaching for the sunlight, I get pulled down back into this goddamn hole again.

Those continued on until they discovered that I had a special sore spot for drowning. It was a pathetic weakness for a ninja but one they used in creative ways like dunking me in water full of shit, drowning me, flooding my cell when I was about to sleep, thinking the rest was over. There were other times were those kinds of torture weren't enough to get every single little bit of information they could get from me. Sometimes there were these men that I would be trapped in some form of arena and they would force me to fight them. Whether it was for my life or not, or if they were insane prisoners or the guards themselves, I would try my hardest to defend myself. I found out the hard way that defending yourself was the wrong thing to do. If I so much laid a finger on them, it would result in them laying fingers on me. They found out it would be better to make us, me and the person that had a _session_ with me, fight while water-walking so if I so much lose concentration, they'd let me drown myself to escape all this in many moments of weaknesses before they take me back to fresh air and perform the most inhumane and possibly degrading form of CPR in history. It was all traumatizing and it never got old for them.

It never got old for me.

It reminded me of the day I made the biggest mistakes of my life, the biggest mistake that was my life and the biggest mistake that _was_ my life. "What if's" kept crawling back my mind when I wasn't plotting, eating, sleeping or crying. What if I was faster? What If I used Sudden Snake Glare Spell? What If I hadn't jumped and continued running? What If I hadn't killed myself?

The last one was the one thing I tried not thinking about in over eight years. I couldn't help but not think about it. And when I did, I quickly corrected myself and used whatever means to distract myself. It included singing to myself, plotting my way out of here and repeating Obito, Rin, Tokuma and Akane's name over and over again so I could _try_ and survive for them. The Byakugan revealed I was, sadly, underwater in some sort of base. There were four levels, each with labyrinth like hallways and guards stationed like stone statues. Each cell had chakra draining seals that steadily absorbed my chakra, resulting in a perpetually fatigued state that you could never get used to. It wouldn't be long till it touched my reincarnation chakra. The food they gave was scarce and stale while private time was a thing of the past with your personal guard and the amount of CCTV cameras. It really looked like it was the end of me.

I wanted to get out but it just took so much effort and energy. It was hard to resist T&I but I knew that if I spewed out everything I knew about Konoha, they would kill me since I was of no use and if I didn't provide them more information, they would kill me since I wasn't cooperating. Not that I wasn't afraid of death. I knew what would happen after death and, despite all odds, I remained strong till the very end and succeeded in many things I didn't get to in my life. I was fine with what I had accomplished in my eight extra years. The only thing I wished for was a more peaceful way of going since I knew that the travel time between worlds is instantaneous. I just drop into one of the parallel worlds and maybe possess some other chick or dude. Maybe it gets worse every time you die. Maybe I might end up in the world of Attack of Titan but I wanted to cross that bridge when I get there.

No, I was afraid of pain.

They were crystal clear on how they wanted me to die on my final day.

They wanted to drown me, prick me, stab me, flog me, choke me and at the end of it all, they would gouge my eyes out while I was alive, even if I didn't have the Caged Bird Seal.

These weeks, even though I accepted my fate, made me wonder how the hell did a show about mercenaries doing everything they can—whether it be torture or downright murder—be passed off as a kids show?

The things I experienced?

Not for damned kids.

What am I saying?

I'm eight and they threatened to decapitate me and fuck my headless body with a dirty kunai.

* * *

 _The new butterfly fluttered against the wind, breaking free of the prison of silver and silk. It didn't know where it came from. All it saw was a broken cocoon amongst the others in the branch they were sharing. It fluttered up slowly to the other cocoon, which hosted another life form in it. It could sense it was alive. It could sense how long it had till they die, and it guessed that it shared the same fate. Sad to say, it was a lonely being and it knew just how long it had till it died. Seven days was when his wings will flutter no more and he didn't mind. He had a job to do. To make sure the world lived._

 _That didn't mean it wanted to do that tedious job alone._

 _It landed on the branch, waiting for one cocoon amongst the thousands that shared the branch with it to wake. It didn't remember anything before it's waking._

 _It didn't know what compelled the wanting of memories._

 _It just...did._

 _It wasted one day just waiting for anybody to join it on the mission to save the world._

 _When nobody did join the little insect, it wasted the second day fluttering around the humungous tree, trying to find at least one cocoon to break free._

 _Then, it spent the rest of the third day pollinating around the world alone, avoiding all the conflict that the strange white-haired rabbit goddess was causing. It continued doing its job, hoping maybe tomorrow or the next day the rest of its kin would wake up from their slumber. It continued this naïve line of thinking until the fifth day. It landed on top of the branch where its cocoon receded, waiting for at least one of the millions of butterflies that's supposed to break free from the prison of silk. It was the beginning of the sixth day. It genuinely didn't know what to do now. It didn't know if there were more of them, but it didn't want to risk the world dying from its idiocy of assuming that there are others of its kind. It went to the top of the tree, pollinated it and stayed until it felt content._

 _On the seventh day, it wasted no time to eat the rest of its siblings._

 _It was, after all, for the good of the world._

* * *

 _It flew slowly to the nearby village. It didn't regret eating its siblings. It bought him time to continue his job, after all. It divided itself into two or more to help with the process of pollinating and saving the world. The more it ate, the more it gained companions that helped it with pollinating. It only fed on certain flowers and small creatures and insects when it felt like the hundreds of copies of it weren't enough. It needed to take away something to give something greater to the world. It was a small price to pay so it could maintain the beauty of the world._

 _It spread itself all through the country, to try and save the dying world as fast as it can. It lived for a thousand years and it swore that it will live for a thousand more. It needed the world to live so that it can live. What were hindering the process were these humans with their fire and their wars. It didn't hate humans; they were creatures of this world that he must save as well._

 _And he ate creatures of this world to save it._

 _That's why it let himself rest on the head of a small human who was playing by itself under a tree. This is what the humans refer to as "children", a miniature version of themselves. It didn't understand why there was "children" in the first place but it didn't need to understand the world to save it. So it let itself fall on the "children's" head, the "children" giggling at its antics. The "children" caught it like it was a delicate flower and peered to it. It fluttered away from its grasp, trying to absorb it. When it fluttered to the "children's" head, it began the process of eating it. It felt itself weaken at the first drop of life the "children" was giving him. There were flashes of light, crying, emotions that he couldn't describe because he only knew what these "emotions" were through the mouths of the "humans". There were these things that made the "children" "happy" and these things that made the "children" "sad". It greedily drank it all up, letting the "children" fall into deep slumber._

 _When it finished, there was a deep rumbling within him. It finally understood that there is more to this world that just surviving and saving it. Is this why the "war" between fellow humans existed; so that the other may have the right to live and the other to be consumed by the world? The feeling of elation and catharsis that flowed within it like a river eased back and suddenly, there was a drought within it. The feeling of not feeling anything didn't bode well for it. It wanted to experience more emotions. It wanted to find more reasons why humans live and humans die. It wanted to experience what humans believed, like this child—Akinosuke—whose life was based around joy and being loved by fellow humans._

 _It decided that love was its favorite emotion._

 _It decided that it wanted to be just like Akinosuke._

 _It wanted to know more about living like Akinosuke._

 _So it called the rest of its body that were the closest to it, entered a forest and tried to weave itself a body that reflected the emotion it experienced. When it was satisfied, it entered the village again and, according to the "children"—Akinosuke's—memories, it opened the door to the Akinosuke's house and greeted Akinosuke's "parents" with a smile._

* * *

 _The village he—Akinosuke—ate didn't satisfy him. He wanted to know more about the humans because every single one is different. When he ate the last human in the small village, he thought he was going to be satisfied. It was fairly obvious he wasn't. He used this village as his new home instead of the stale and boring tree that, when compared to the child's home, was rather dead. The creature known as Akinsouke found the pleasures of a finer life and he wanted to enjoy it while he can. He continued his job in maintain this beautiful yet in the same time ugly world but what his new mission was to have permanent emotions of his own. The overwhelming joy, sadness and love of the village were still reverberating powerfully in his breast which he made for himself. He let his body eat away the emotionless humans who were lying on the ground of the village, the humans becoming butterflies like him. He trapped some emotions into those butterflies so that he could eat them for later._

 _He didn't like feeling empty when he found out that he could actually_ feel _._

 _He'll scout for the nearest village at dawn._

* * *

 _It was a shame that he was anchored into the village he started his journey with. The huts that he entered a thousand years ago were now rotting and being eaten away by the greenery, letting all sorts of flowers grow in the fields. He let his body flow free, which were manifested in an uncountable numbers of butterflies. He assumed that he must have gotten way over his head when he tried consuming that fūinjutsu expert. Now he was trapped here to do his bidding because of this "contract". He thought he was the perfect hunter, eating away genjutsu experts to lure unsuspecting humans in to acquire their "love" which he still didn't understand to this day. He got the knowledge of humans; shaping his body into one befitting a benevolent "God" because he found out cultivating their feelings actually gives him more "love". He was fooling the fūinjutsu expert before he got a whiff of his plans. It didn't take long for the fūinjutsu expert to trap him here._

 _What he didn't know is that he was consuming more than the man's chakra._

 _He found out that doing the man's bidding would reward him with more emotions, elation, joy, relief and so on. He could feel it when the fūinjutsu expert used him for his genjutsu. To cultivate his emotions and to fix the man with his form, he quickly taught him the secrets of his specialized genjutsu he uses to absorb human's memories and knowledge to make it his own, The Mangyekō Illusion. The fūinjutsu was a bit reluctant in taking his power—he didn't even summon the "original body" which the creature kept spewing out from his butterflies in fear of it killing him—safe to say he was unsure what the seemingly whimsical creature would do if he used the power it promised him._

 _The fūinjutsu master quickly found out, in the heat of battle, he didn't care._

 _He fashioned a seal, which he taught Akinosuke how to imprint it to the next of his generation, to make casting the genjutsu easier. Akinosuke anchored himself to the seal, slowly becoming one with the fūinjutsu master, granting him speed that normal ninja shouldn't be able to accomplish. The fūinjutsu master continued working on the Butterfly Seal, making sure it had the ability to manipulate your weight and forget memories that aren't yours to make sure you don't lose yourself. What he didn't know is that he was offering his body to Akinosuke when the butterfly creature let himself get anchored into the man's seal. It was just a small part of him but it still acted like a symbiotic parasite. It was slow but he was progressively eating away the man's memories. When the fūinjutsu master achieved the ultimate level of the Butterfly Seal, the ability to turn into butterflies, there was a level of elation and catharsis he felt throughout his body and continued using that technique in battle, the enemies he faced never catching him thanks to it._

 _Akinosuke finally consumed the man's physical form because of old age; he let his spirit meld itself with his own, the spirit fabricating a body using butterflies. It resembled the fūinjutsu master's old form. Akinosuke let the fūinjutsu's spirit wander around his home village, slowly eating away his memories and relishing the feeling he got of the old man's emotions while he let more of his butterflies escape the village to maintain the world._

 _The fūinjutsu master found himself waking up from a long dream and after his dazed routine; he couldn't remember his own name._

 _He couldn't remember what his parent's name was._

 _He couldn't remember what his best friend's name was._

 _While aimlessly exploring Konoha, trying to find a way to remember things, he stopped at a familiar grave._

 _Takahama Aishi,_

 _He remembered he was dead and he finally remembered his name and his entire life. Fearing that he might forget what his name was, he forced the butterflies that made up his body manifest into a slightly physical form so that he could maintain his grave, so that his name would be there and become so old it would be indecipherable. He needed to transfer the Butterfly Seal so that this curse could be lifted from him. He didn't want the damnable butterfly demon to absorb the last of his memories. He forced the butterflies out from his body, and using his expertise in genjutsu, managed to lure a single girl into the grave._

 _Call him selfish and petty but he refused to be fully eaten._

* * *

I blinked up from my cell in what felt like a long dream. I was already used to the cold, perpetually wet floor that made me shake uncontrollably, the dried blood when the medic team _forgot_ to heal some wounds after a torture session that the torturer seems to greatly enjoy and not to mention the general anxiousness of when the next "drowning" session I usually associate this _cage_ will be. I stared up the four large holes on the roof of my cage that filled my cell with water, fearing the worst because I seem to wake up only seconds after large amounts of water flood it. What I wasn't used to was the missing feeling of my very life being drained from me because of the chakra absorbing seals. Maybe it was because they didn't accept reincarnation chakra or that it stopped when a certain amount is hit, who knows? The fact that I wasn't used _nothing_ happening around me was sad and scary but that wasn't the point.

"What the hell…?" I heard myself mutter before clamping my mouth shut. I did it again. Talking to myself was a bad habit I did in my past life which I broke through reincarnation for some odd reason. I didn't like it because I knew what I called myself in the past. It usually starts it "There you are again, doing this and that and becoming the failure that everyone predicted you to be" and then it ends with "Jesus, just do yourself a favor and kill yourself." It was reflexive and I had no control over it when I'm alone. I sighed and closed my eyes, trying to go back to sleep, slightly hoping that maybe that this is all just a dream and I'll wake up sea sick in the boat.

I suddenly remembered the dream I had only a few minutes ago. I opened my eyes and slowly raised my left hand against the dim light they put into my cell, my eyes purposely avoiding the multitude of scars decorating my arm, finding the Butterfly Seal in my middle finger, innocently resting on it. I hadn't thought much of the small black monarch tattoo that was resting on my fingernail but after that revelation, and with the feeling of betrayal fresh in my chest. I didn't cry because I'm sure my tear sacs are well exercised in the weeks I spent in this hell hole. I didn't scream in fear of alerting the warden that I was awake. I just stared blankly at the seal that proved that I was selling my soul to the devil.

I couldn't help but think of ways how I can cut my finger off out of sheer _pettiness_.

I stared at it for a long time, trying to find a reason on going _on_ just because I was so tired of feeling like this. I was hungry, cold and tired.

The bouts of apathy came back and so did the laziness.

It was, and forgive me for not finding a better term, crippling.

I didn't know what to do because, my Byakugan revealed, I was underwater and I knew that I didn't have the _guts_ to break out of this prison and swim out to shore and maybe find some shelter. Hell, I could barely stop myself from shivering if so much as a droplet of water touches my skin. It was pathetic. They reduced me to a shivering mess when I hear the beginnings of gushing water. Memories come back when it happens. Those were bad memories; memories that I was okay with Akinosuke taking from me. What I wasn't okay with is Akinosuke taking away the memories I garnered through my eight years of living. I thought about it, long and hard. I fantasized that—if I had a _choice_ in what memories Akinosuke took from me—I would let him take everything, memories of the old world, memories of my achievements, just let me keep my family. The family I _have_ now. I didn't treasure my old one and I know that it would be considered running away but was that really old? All I really ever do was run away from my problems and hide it with a joke, a nudge and a smile, not really facing it. But in this world? I finally had the privilege to laugh without a hidden meaning, and that feeling was something I hadn't felt in a long time.

The feeling of being _genuine_ ,

So, like the old man I met in the cemetery, I latched on to it. I repeated it. I _obsessed_ over it.

Every strike of a whip?

 _Tokuma, Akane, Rin, Obito…_

Every droplet of water?

 _Tokuma, Akane, Rin, Obito…_

Every hit from a desperate jailer that was pitted against me?

 _Tokuma, Akane, Rin, Obito…_

Every sleepless night in the cold cell?

 _Tokuma, Akane, Rin Obito…_

Those were the words I repeated whenever I was scared and alone in my cell. I didn't want to forget them, even in this situation. If I died, I died remembering them. What I couldn't help remember is that Obito and Rin is going to die. I didn't know what Tokuma's fate in the anime was—or if he was in the anime at all—but I knew that if mom found out that I died here in Kiri, I couldn't exactly confirm her state of mind. She looked so broken when she entered our house. I didn't want to break her like I probably did with my other mom. I didn't know if I was insane for staying this way, feeding the information the enemy wanted just bit by bit, enough to keep me alive, enduring the sadistic torture and the cruel things they put me up with but I didn't want to die knowing that those people that kept disgusting old _me_ going were about to die.

"Tokuma, Akane, Rin, Obito…" I muttered to myself after a few hours of resting in my cell after a hard day or night of being grilled for information with new decorations throughout my body. I lied on my back, continuing planning on how to save my Tokuma, Akane, Rin, Obito in my spare time because that's all I can do.

I didn't know when I started to repeat the name like a chant to keep me sane instead of a chant so that I could remember them but it might have been in between the second or third week of torture. I predictably clung onto those four since they were my lifeline now. I didn't understand the whole "anime shounen hope comeback" until now. This was usually the part where I channel my reincarnation chakra and figure out how to use it to escape but the stupid thing wouldn't budge even if I tried. What I knew, however, might not be hope but just a pure, unhealthy obsession over the four of them. I wanted nothing bad to happen to them because I used their happiness in my memories and substituted that for my own happiness and my own sanity. Maybe Akinosuke was up to something with the whole "absorb memories and emotions so one can feel" shtick because, frankly, it worked. Obito's goofy smirk and Rin's cheerful laugh put a smile on my face while Tokuma and mom's antics let me feel what it was like to laugh even in the darkest situation.

I smiled in the dark, my tired head resting on the floor with my battered body after another day. "I'm coming for you, Tokuma, Akane, Rin, Obito…Tokuma, Akane, Rin, Obito…Tokuma, Akane, Rin, Obito…"

I dreamed of happy faces, flowers and bunnies in the moon that night.

* * *

AN.

 _But he will never be satisfied_

 _I will never be satisfi~ied_

I felt like a person like Tokina doesn't have a strong enough reason to stay alive since she knew what the other side of the door was. I mean, she killed herself once, what's stopping her from killing herself again? Family? She threw that away in the first run. I thought that a person like that needs something to _keep_ themselves from ending it all because it was pretty clear that she doesn't fear death.

She still don't like that pain, though.

Yep, these traumas is going to be long-lasting so endure the occasional angst but don't worry you guys, this is the last chapter filled with the shit you'll see in a long while.

Now that that's out of the way time for full disclosure! (If y'all don't like theories and Easter Eggs then y'all can go on your merry way. [also fuck that "do you know the way meme])

 _Everyone told me Gem stuff's dangerous_

Without further ado:

Takahama's name is a reference to the man mentioned in _The White Butterfly,_ a Japanese folklore. Akinosuke's name is a reference to _The Dream of Akinosuke_ , another Japanese folklore. You guys can read it since it _really_ is a good read. Basically, the whole part to of the Butterfly Arc was a reference to these two stories. I _love_ symbolism, so much that I re-watched the entirety of Madoka four _fucking_ times and watch their transformation sequence because that show is just so _full_ of the shit. That said, I won't disclose _all_ of my little easter eggs because that's what makes symbolism and foreshadowing so fun (Homura's and Madoka's Rebellion transformation for instance).

I really love people who post theories about my story because it feels so rewarding that a prose you write about, be it bad or good, is something worth thinking about! It just goes to show you that even the smallest detail that you researched on isn't going to be wasted on some people.

But nobody still hasn't mentioned the Mangekyō bit. Mangekyō means kaleidoscope in English, which is what you call a swarm of butterflies so _no_ it _isn't_ a discount Mangekyō Sharingan.

Anyway, please review! Constructive Criticism is appreciated! Enjoy Life!


	24. Chapter 24:Reverse Ophelia 1

AN.

So, for my reason of being late, just check my profile and scroll at the very bottom.

tl;dr: faulty computer

as to why I'm uploading now in (as of typing this AN.) 10:57 pm, I'm currently Google Docs-ing with a groupmate and it's her turn to type in the shit for our project due tomorrow.

Yay, being graduating batch is fun :)

WARNING: Um...terribly written angst PTSD, implied torture and rape? I edited this at Saturday so I can't be sure.

* * *

If his informant was correct, then Orochimaru should be in the prison where his test subject was being held captive. It was a long and irritating process that he never had the patience of doing but it was well worth the wait for a one-of-a-kind experiment. He took a glance at the underwater base nonchalantly, finding it way less impressive than Iwa's prisons. Well, Kiri was famous for its torture methods so the building didn't need to look grand, it just needed to hold its prisoners and it was doing a fine job up until now.

Now?

Now, the whole base was panicking because there were giant snakes in each corridor, killing everything within sight. He wasn't as dumb as to go to maximum security head first. He had a plan, which was to simply let do the snakes do the work as he killed off their pickings since it saved way less time while he tried to guess where his student might be. He needed a clear way to land and do his work to get his prized subject. Looking at his pocket-watch, he knew that he had to go down there soon; he just wished that his guess was correct. He _knew_ it was correct but even _he_ could be wrong.

Sometimes,

It was a pain convincing Hiruzen to let him go on this mission but he managed to do it. Asking him to go out into this "mission" was only to get on his good side since he knew that he would do the same even if the foolish old man didn't let him. Hyūga Tokina didn't have any military value, the information they collected was with the Yamanaka and despite her status being a field-medic, she could be easily replaceable even if she was part of a major clan.

He couldn't help but snicker at the thought of the old man stopping him from getting his student back. He was an advocate for the whole "student-teacher" relationship, he just couldn't get over the fact that the man that taught him to treasure the people around him would just say "Let her go, she is a lost cause."

…He didn't say it _exactly_ like that but that is what it was in essence.

Bottom line, he was being hypocritical.

Orochimaru _could_ let her go but she was the only one _as of today_ to survive the baseline of his seal. He couldn't just let precious data like her go die that easily.

Swimming to the base with the help of that ninja tool the Kiri man he interrogated gave him oh-so _graciously_ , he opened the door, letting himself in a hallway and spitting out the strange device and pocketing it away for future use. He admitted that it was rather impressive that Kiri had the _money_ to build and continue the operations in this place, with glass that was able to withstand the water's pressure and the technology to drown out any existing water. The audacious village was suffering as it was, now he was going to destroy one of the most, if not, funded places the village built. It was a shame that he had to destroy it, it would have been a great hideout if he ever needed to flee the country. He let the strange tubes do its job and drown out the water before he opened the second door and there, he couldn't help but smile.

Snakes and dead bodies everywhere,

He couldn't believe how easy it was.

He continued walking and following the map that the other Kiri-nin he interrogated _graciously_ bestowed upon him. He took a left when there were three other Kiri finishing off what looked like a giant viper. They turned around with their weapons, shocked for a second before glaring at them with venom that could rival the serpent they just recently killed.

"You!" One of them pointed at him dramatically "Konoha scum!"

He sighed, pocketing the map. He summoned a snake and got a single kunai as the three all rushed at him with their swords drawn. He dodged the first slash with a low crouch and sent the snake to the man's face, the serpent immediately biting the man's eye as he howled in pain. Orochimaru kicked the second man away as he stabbed the third man in the neck with the kunai he held. The second man looked at him in with fear in his eyes which he absolutely _relished_ but time was of the essence. He quickly drew a kunai in speeds unimaginable and threw it in between the poor sod's neck.

He got the map from his pocket once more without sparing a single thought for the three he killed. They were the inept ones that got killed, not him. He began navigating through the metal labyrinth, walking over bodies and their parts as he went, occasionally throwing a snake, kunai or an explosive tag at the fools who dared challenged him. Didn't his title mean _anything_ or was Kiri's education system that inept not to teach their ninja who and who not to fight?

When he reached the floor she was in, he rolled his eyes at Kiri for trapping an eight year old _chunin_ this deep in the dungeon. He was sadistic but not to a fault. He knew where to draw the line if it was hindering his work. This, what Kiri was doing however, _wasn't_ work. It was just plain _sickening_. He could appreciate it but in a distance. He looked inside every cell but all he could see was water.

That's when he realized that they were planning to drown their prisoners.

Orochimaru clicked his tongue in irritation. He should have known. Rushing now, he immediately broke every single cell with a swift kick, punch or an explosive tag. Water and bodies were gushing out, some dead, others alive and the rest in between. He didn't take his time but he was calm as he broke another cell filled with water. As per usual, the water gushed out and produced a malnourished girl that he saw in better days. The Snake-Sannin smiled, finally getting his prize. He carried the girl piggy-back style and went back on his merry way, killing everyone that stood in his way, this time enjoying it. Planting explosive seals on his way, he exited the base in a safe distance and summoned a giant snake they could ride in to escape the explosion. The snake swam speedily away from the water while the two rested inside its belly.

With a flare of Orochimaru's chakra, important papers he didn't bother with, prisoners and guards alike all exploded and drowned underwater.

* * *

 _I slowly opened my eyes to a beautiful field of the greenest grass I ever laid eyes upon and a multitude of red poppies I never got to smell when I was a kid since I was allergic to pollen back then. The rush of wind made my smile, which was almost always fake, become genuine as it moved my loose hair and morning gown back and fro, causing the loose petals of the poppies to blow away, making the color of the wind red that day._

 _It was a refreshing sight from the normally bleak and barrow Kiri prison that I was used to. I took the time to take in the smell of flowers because I can. I let the genuine happiness flow through me, relishing the few moments and breaks I had in my dreams from reality. Expecting flowers and grass to meet me, I sat down on a velvet chair I hadn't felt in a long time. Silly to say, my butt instantly recognized it as a piano stool._

 _Safe to say, my butt enjoyed it more than good anal sex._

 _But hey, what does my butt know about sex anyway?_

 _Experimenting on the limits of my dreamscape, I stretched my arms forward. In a flurry of flowers and grass, a piano appeared out of nowhere now in the field of grass and poppies as if it belonged there in the first place. My heart leaping for joy and my grin going to ear to ear, my fingers felt the cool and painstakingly familiar ivory before pressing a key._

 _It was kind of sad how the feeling of pressing a key and it eliciting the correct sound made my spine tingle like never before._

 _My muscle memory immediately played Fantaisie-Impromptu in C minor, Op.66, the piece I played as a warm-up every time I stopped playing the piano for a long time because fuck Mozart and his mop hair lookin' ass. My mom taught this to me when I was sixteen and I've been just memorizing this piece ever since. As the fingers hit the keys of the piano, I couldn't help but feel a strange emotion overcoming me. I played the piano more fervently to try and distract these feelings, ignoring all the teachings of musicality and the importance of not playing fast because pressing keys rapidly doesn't equate to a skillful pianist despite the piece being one of the fastest pieces in existence._

" _Hey, aren't you a prodigy? Shouldn't you be in some kind of orchestra or whatever pianists do? What are you doing in some washed up bar, singing for tips?"_

" _I actually wanted to be a conductor, not a pianist but…"_

 _I pressed the C key harder than I should have._

" _Oh! What do people even do with a music degree anyway?"_

" _I-"_

 _I pursed my lips in distaste when I was about to answer it out loud because of reflex. I focused on playing the piece, as if pressing the keys harder and harder would make the volume of the piano go higher. This is one of the cons of pursuing your dreams as a musician, artist or any "hobby" that you turn into a "job"._

 _Everyone doubts and everyone judges and the problem is you could never tell whether they were right about you or wrong when you're at rock bottom._

 _I was so sick of hearing this conversation over and over in my head, even if I thought the hole I dug was deep enough to drown out the voices._

 _It turns out, I had to bury the hole with me so I couldn't here them._

" _I could become a professor in music if I wanted to but I need to get a teaching license or maybe-"_

" _What? What would kids even gain from playing a few strings and blowing a few horns anyway? You should get a real job! Don't you think your parents would want that?"_

 _I repressed a growl that I always substituted with a smile, just like now._

" _A hobby wouldn't be too bad for children! Research shows that-"_

 _The C key should be broken by now as I continued to butcher Chopin's masterpiece._

" _A hobby can't pay the bills-"_

"I KNOW!" _I slammed the piano; the instrument making noise as my fists unrightfully damaged the monochrome colored instrument. I covered my face and didn't even shed a single tear for myself since I always thought, and maybe even now, that I really don't deserve to cry for my stupid mistakes. I sighed in the palms of my smooth hands, lifted my face and continued on with the energetic yet melancholic piece. Sweet music flooded my ears as I purposely ignored a cry for help from a very familiar voice as I began playing the softer bits of the piece._

" _Make it stop…"_

 _A butterfly landed on the key I was supposed to press next._

 _I didn't halt for a second._

* * *

When I awoke, I knew that I was well away from Kiri T&I since there were trees everywhere from the brief time I opened my eyes before I closed them shut because it was too damn bright. My head hurt and my body ached yet I was used to that. What I wasn't used to was the cold yet _fresh_ air I was breathing and how every inhale I do didn't make me want to puke out thanks to the amount of blood you could smell from miles away. I debated whether this was a second dream or not for a long time.

Experimentally, I bit my tongue.

…that hurt.

Okay, so I wasn't dreaming. I should have known that. None of my dreams involved me being bedridden thanks to the pain in my body; it usually involved my family, flowers, pianos and sometimes even bunnies on the moon. I groaned out my discomfort experimentally to see if I was with anyone else. A kidnapper or not, it was good to know if I had company since I wouldn't even _dare_ using my Byakugan with this headache.

"Ah, so my cute little student has finally graced us with her presence." A sinister voice that I associated with evil and treachery piped from what I guessed was beside me.

I kept my eyes shut as I tried to think this through, even with the headache I have.

…It wasn't much of a decision, honestly. I'd take this snake over Kiri's own insanity. At least Orochimaru has the decency to put up with anesthetics and does it cleanly before fucking me up with drugs unlike all the blood and gore Kiri thinks is an aesthetic. Seal me up, give me Wood Release, I don't care. Just don't drown me. Get me away from water.

I'm done with that shit.

I felt a hand on my forehead as I buried my head on the incredibly comfy pillow and fluffy bed. Kiri didn't give me that luxury, sadly. Just cold, metal slabs for beds. There was only the best for their prisoners after all. I was kind of shocked, honestly. I thought they would get my Byakugan the first time they got their horrendous and dirty mitts on me or turn me into a breeding pig. Nope, they just went and did everything else in _Torturing an Under-aged Girl: A How To."_

Good fucking times, that one.

Ah and there it is my infamous coping mechanism that fooled everyone from my past life. Joking about my problems and trauma like it wasn't such a big deal even though it was.

"Chakra exhaustion, fever, fatigue, malnutrition and that doesn't even cover the psychological scars they gave you." Orochimaru jotted out smartly,

Yeah, no kidding,

"I'm sure you know by now that those scars decorated in your body may never heal. It's outstanding what Kiri can do with a few herbs and leaves but other than that and the things I stated before, your fine. "He praised my torturers who I still wanted to defile and eviscerate. I wonder what happened to the girlie that didn't want to slit throats. I wonder how she would see me now.

Eh, probably died at the fifth assassination mission.

…or maybe the twenty-fifth flogging session.

Who knows?

I don't.

I didn't respond since how do you even thank a mass murderer? Instead, I let myself relax because I knew that Orochimaru wouldn't be as petty as to kill me the moment he rescued me from Kiri for…some reason. Instead, I used my tired and aching arm that thinned considerably over the course of my stay in the dungeon to cover my eyes while muttering a soft and hoarse "Thank you…" I hope Konoha has medicine to mask scars. Thank God that they didn't touch my face. It's a shame, though. I couldn't show my face around public baths.

I don't want to go near baths or any large body of water.

No more.

I cracked open a tired eye, gazing at the smirking man sitting down next to me. He didn't even frown or flinch when I activated my Byakugan after a few moments of lying in bed in silence when the migraine subsided. We were in some kind of underground lab with labyrinth like halls and many rooms dedicating for researching animals and the like. There were massive test-tube like objects housing snakes, boars and everything in between. It didn't take me long to realize that I was in one of those snake dens Orochimaru used when he was teaching Sasuke shit or kidnapping babies.

At least I came in here as a guest.

Until I remembered who I was dealing with,

"I believe you owe me thanks."

I sighed and cracked open my eye slowly, adjusting to the light and deactivating my Byakugan the same time. I didn't sit up or do anything polite, just stare at him blankly thanks to my hoarse throat and the inability to properly react to the situation. I didn't know if there was something wrong with me. Look, I don't _trust_ the guy but he hasn't killed me _yet_ and besides, if he was really going to put some sort of low-budget Sage mode on me, wouldn't that be a slightly good thing anyway? All I had to do was sacrifice my appearance for a short time anyway. I gazed into his bright yellows blankly, considering my options.

It was fairly obvious that Orochimaru would use favors to the best of his abilities. He wasn't a fool. He wouldn't let me go for free unless he had something planned, like putting some deadly virus that would kill Konoha shinobi just by breathing. He wanted something from me and that was obvious, I knew that since day one when I was training with him. The problem was I didn't know what. This man is so hypocritical and complex that a Yamanaka would be seen running around the labyrinth if they tried going into his mindscape.

I realized quickly that it probably wasn't as worse as whatever Kiri put me up with.

With difficulty, I answered him with a shallow "What?"

He snickered, looking absolutely pleased with himself. He got up from his seat and walked away. I followed him using my Byakugan. He exited the room, went to his lab and began mixing a strange concoction. When he was done, he opened a locked case and put what looked like a white scale into it. The strange potion immediately took in a different color and began boiling. He mixed it a few times, got a vile, measured its contents and walked back to the room.

I kept my Byakugan on while I tried to break down what the fuck was in that bottle because, holy shit, that was a _lot_ of concentrated chakra in it. He seemed to be mildly amused at this and chuckled. He sat down and made gently made me stand up, causing me to want to vomit thanks to the blood in my head finally rushing down to the rest of my body parts. Without a word, he handed me what looked like normal water (which I confirmed with my Byakugan).

"I want you to drink this," He told me as he held the strange looking vial. "But before that, you need to drink water if you don't want to experience the pain." He smiled while I took the glass in shaky hands which he took from the desk. I didn't even notice it next to me. There was a lot of phrases I was using today but it seemed like "I didn't know" was the most overused one because how the fuck can I react to Orochimaru giving me a glass of water for the sole purpose of my well-being? I knew he wasn't a complete sociopath just yet, I knew he has a heart since he was going to Itachi from training one day and be forever engrossed on capturing the Sharingan. I just didn't know how to react on him showing that same heart to _me_.

I thought he had the hots for Tsunade.

I took in a sharp breath when I gazed into the clear liquid in my hands. Immediately, memories came rushing back. Unwanted memories. Memories I wanted to lock up and never open. My body's response was to lock up and hitch my breathing even further thanks to fear and stay away from the liquid that was about to drop on me. Orochimaru quickly grabbed the glass of water with a frown.

I can't believe I'm scared of drinking water. All I could do was giggle at the sheer absurdity and cry at how pathetic and sad it was. It wasn't loud, it wasn't melodramatic, it was just crying and hitched giggling in the same time as the feeling of water everywhere _flooded_ back into my body. I could feel it touching me. I could feel the shock of finding myself half-drowning in my cell when I should be asleep.

 _Tokuma, Akane, Rin, Obito…_

 _Tokuma, Akane, Rin, Obito…_

"Tokina,"

I felt a hand touch my raw shoulder.

Another fresh set of memories came back. Unwanted touches, feelings that should have brought me pleasure only brought me pain. It hurt, It burned, It brought me shame that I couldn't understand, I didn't do anything wrong. Why are they making me do this? Why are they doing this to me?

"Don't touch me," I hissed out, glaring at Orochimaru, uncaring if he could stab me in the neck or beat me to death with a stick. I felt the veins around my eyes bulge and rage overtaking my body. The unhealthy mix of rage and fear causes the human brain to do what they shouldn't be able to do in normal circumstances thanks to adrenaline and the nervous system's core response. It was fight or flight.

And in this world, flying meant your wings would be either clipped or be in a cage forever.

He graciously lifted his hand away from my shoulder. I deactivated my Byakugan. "Fine," Orochimaru shrugged, not offended. "I knew that I would be dealing with this. You need to drink water or the potion will hurt you more than you realize." He returned the blank look I gave him when I awoke. I relaxed my fingers that were gripping the sheets harder than they should have. I _forced_ myself to calm down with a small genjutsu. I looked at him straight in the eye before slumping my shoulders again despite feeling tense. I shakily lifted the glass and forced the water down my throat. The initial fear was overtaken by my body's want for the liquid and I chugged the liquid down.

Orochimaru handed me the vial next when I demanded for more water (for the first time in what felt like forever!). I gave him a stink eye. He smiled and motioned me to go on. I smelled the foul thing. It smelled like if a vegan and a scavenger had a baby, the baby eating a worse diet and popping its diet in blue cheese with horse shit mixed with cat litter.

In simpler terms, I wanted to puke but thanks to my empty stomach, it was just a really bad gag reflex.

I inhaled and chugged the tasteless liquid down. The texture felt like a smoothie but the taste said it was expired medicine.

One sharp pain in my head and I was gone.

* * *

 _I stepped on familiar plains again. I eyed the crying girl in the plains. She had dark brown hair flowing against the wind. She wore the same dress as me but on her, it looked way better despite us being completely alike. She looked like she was about to crumble the moment I touched her with the amount of cracks and crevices on her body. She faced me with something akin to fear and hate with the same light shaded eyes I had. She didn't have a voice but I knew by the way her lips moved and how her face morphed into pure, unadulterated anger and irritation._

 _I knew what caused this but if I was being honest, I could care less of her well-being._ With a flurry of poppies and wind, she was gone.

 _It's not like she's living_ her _life anymore._

* * *

There was months of testing and revising the seal so it wouldn't we as dangerous if I activated it. I got a closer look into Orochimaru's secret lab when I could manage to walk after a few days thanks to the drugs that he made to revitalize the muscles and increase its mass. It was useful as it was dangerous since you need to have one of his curse seals to work. He told me it was one of the few experiments he made to try and reach immortality but stopped researching and producing it since it was too much of a hassle until now.

Mr. _I is Genius_ had to fix the whole "cell degradation" con he accidently put up which made me drink a lot of those vile liquids and promised me a whole world of pain.

I didn't complain. All I had to do was to compare it to Kiri and everything they did and the pain seemed like getting an irritating itch between your fingers.

…Which I masked with genjutsu, but that's besides the point.

Speaking of liquids, in those few months, I got completely over drinking water. Sure, memories came back once or twice but thanks to genjutsu, I quickly calmed those roaring emotions. There was a drawback for relying on that to calm me, since I knew where all those stored memories and emotions go.

I just hope that butterfly bitch was choking on them.

I couldn't tell if he broke the contract with me or not. I had the Butterfly Seal, which should be harboring a part of his soul, but I found out that I could only summon snakes. I knew how to do genjutsu and I didn't really _need_ Akinosuke but those butterflies helped with multitasking and stored unneeded memories and helped manage the genjutsu. They were training wheels, if anything.

I need to address the situation with him since I am in a position where I need all the help I can get.

The seal which he named "Animal Seal" first looked like some weird circuit board which I complained about then it looked like the summoning tattoo he had on his arm but for some reason he seemed bitter about it and now it looked like two tilted black diamonds on my back that touched at the end, like wings were ripped out from there. They felt completely at home with my back since most of my other scars were there, the only difference was that it was blacker than my other scars. I hadn't activated it outside of tests but I knew that public testing would be opening up sooner or later.

I didn't mind being holed up in this lab for the reminder of the months. It had a bed, good food and didn't drain my chakra. Despite Orochimaru being a shady character, I knew that he wouldn't kill me unless I do something that would royally fuck up every plan he had in store which I had no intention of doing.

Since we both needed each other in a sense.

He needed a guinea pig and I needed to get stronger to protect my lifelines. I wanted to tell them that " _Hey! I'm alive! Please don't forget about me just yet!_ " I wanted to hold my baby brother and hug my mom and talk to my friends but whenever I fantasize about those things, bad memories come back. CPR, fights, torture…

It pained and irritated me at the same time.

But I couldn't do anything about it and nor can Orochimaru because _he_ isn't a fucking psychologist despite how _great_ he paints himself to be.

So I just have to bite my cheek and chug on the anti-depressants he bought for me and hope for the best as I continue being Orochimaru's lab rat. He was treating me better than Kiri, that's for sure, and I wasn't in any sort of rush in Konoha. I wanted to see my loved ones, don't get me wrong, but I wouldn't want them to worry about my well-being since I did not look healthy. No matter how much drugs I took in, the fact is that I was malnourished, my reflexes were slow and I was overall having a bad time with everything. These months are basically my physical-therapy session with a deranged doctor and I wasn't complaining.

There wasn't anything to complain about that didn't involve my psychological and mental state, anyway.

I walked to the bath area in Orochimaru's lab since he _must_ be observing proper hygiene in this diseased ridden area that was known as his lab. Unlike the rest of the lab, it was a quaint place with hot water and steam and looked like a normal bathhouse you would see in any town. I got a bucket and towel and locked the door. I inhaled the steam sharply, memories coming back and genjutsu pushing them even deeper in the recesses of my mind. I walked to the bathtub in the floor and crouched down slowly. I took a deep breath, and with shaking hands, I got the towel and soaked it in the hot water.

I heard my gasps echo around the room as I sat there, holding a towel, inches away from my arm.

"Okay, Tokina…you can do this…" I whispered to myself, slightly irritated at the fact that I couldn't even _bathe_ myself because of this stupid PTSD. Every single time I hear water, touch water or even the mention of it brought me pain. It resulted in sleepless nights and strange instances of me wanting to bang my head against the wall or floor just because of the headaches it caused me. Sleeping without pills wasn't an option because I wouldn't dare closing my eyes if there was any slight chance water would just drip from the roof.

Relying on my comfort chant and Happy-Time genjutsu usually worked. " _Tokuma, Akane, Rin, Obito…"_ I chanted as I forced the genjutsu on myself harder when those memories came back when the wet towel was pressed against my skin.

" _Tokuma, Akane, Rin, Obito…"_ I continued to chant while I shakily cleaned myself of today's work.

I couldn't tell if it was the water or the tears that were dripping down my body.

* * *

AN.

I'm so sorry for the editing here. This was a bitch to edit. Basically any chapter with Orochimaru is a bitch to edit. Sorry if you were expecting "badass" Orochimaru fight but let's be real here, the anime and the manga only showed this bitch summoning snakes and swords. That's it, that's all we have to work with. That and the occasional Earth Release but okay.

Anyway, Enjoy sleep because holy shit, we need more hours of that. Enjoy life :)


	25. Chapter 25: Reverse Ophelia 2

AN.

WELP!

HERE IT IS!

THE LONG AWAITED CHAPTER 25

Since I am a really bad author who can't fulfill my promises, I'm going to be double posting weekly instead since I owe you guys five chapters, so I'll be double posting for three weeks so fulfill that. Thank you for the support you guys! Thanks for the sympathy and empathizing with my really idiotic mistake! Don't worry, you guys, I a'int depressed! If I was, I probably would have killed myself by now :P. We all have our mood swings and days and that week was just one of them. It's all fine now.

See how I added that emoticon?

Clearly not depressed.

Like legit, guys, dont' worry.

I moved the AN to my profile just in case y'all wanted to see it. I think the original, not dream part was better than the one I made but I know that the new dream is better than the one I deleted. Whatever, I guess.. Enjoy!

WARNINGS:...um...angst? A lot of it. And the dream might not make a lot of sense so...be prepared for a headache. OH AND CRINGE! CRINGE SITUATION BECAUSE SOCIAL INTERACTION! (again, hopefully not my writing)

* * *

 _I awoke in the same plains, with poppy petals dancing through the air, coloring the wind effortlessly. I pursed my lips in thought._

 _Why can't I have a normal dream about guys? I appreciated the thought of pianos and this beautiful scenery but the novelty wore off. Ignoring the usual piano sitting innocently in the field of grass and flowers, I began walking and exploring the recesses of my mind. I let the blades of grass stick to my feet since I really couldn't do anything about it. I began walking and walking, the farther I went, the faster "time" seemed to go. From the usual day came a beautiful afternoon._

 _Sunset Pink was always my favourite color._

 _My eyes shot to my hand as it felt like it was being crushed by an unknown force, which made me stop abruptly before I could reach "night". I couldn't move my feet. There was a force pulling me down. It was the butterfly seal. Suddenly, there was an empty feeling in my chest that I was very familiar. That didn't mean I liked it. I narrowed my eyes as my body bent down because of the intense and irritating weight being thrown into a single finger._

 _"That is what you made me...feel" a low and familiar voice called out to me. Ghost pain began erupting all throughout my body. I repressed the shriek that wanted release when the weight instantly turned to pain and the sheer suddenness of the pain. I groaned at the sudden force and weight of it all, facing the afternoon sky in disdain. A strong gust of wind blew across the field, blowing the poppy flowers away, leaving plain green against the dusk atmosphere._

 _"I shouldn't even be feeling this." The voice growled, the weight growing heavier by the minute. I struggled to move forward but it just wouldn't let me. I grunted, trying to pull my left hand as if there was a chain restricting its movement. "I should be feeling happy with Tokuma, I should be feeling annoyed with my mom, I should be practicing Jyūken." The weight in my hand suddenly became heavier and made me plunge into the deep abyss._

" _It's all your fault," The voice said, "I should be_ living, _not trapped in this limbo you put me through._ "

 _The blades of grass gave way like quicksand. I shrieked as the weight in my hand pulled me into the dark abyss. There was a familiar cold feeling I didn't like. There was a familiar strawberry and vanilla scent I grew to hate. There was a familiar feeling of regret I grew to detest. I was done with these emotions. I wasn't over it, not by a long-shot but I was so tired of feeling this way because I didn't do anything wrong._

 _I closed my eyes tightly as I felt the cold and unforgiving water surround my body._

 _I didn't do anything wrong._

 _Was it my fault for being so inattentive for not spotting that Hozuki?_

 _Was it my fault for worrying about my teammate's wellbeing?_

 _It sure as fuck isn't._

 _I released my breath, bubbles coming out and the water coming in._

 _Was it my fault for accepting power?_

 _Was it my fault for wanting to numb pain since that was all I felt for most of my life?_

 _It sure as fuck isn't._

 _Music!no, noise, suddenly blared in my ears painfully and unnaturally._

 _They played in a terrible amalgamation of the classic piano pieces I grew to love that I could best describe as mocking, urging me to cover my ears despite me knowing that it wouldn't do any good. I wanted to beat my head in a wall just so that the pain would stop. I wanted to breathe without water entering in my lungs. The noise didn't stop. The weight pulled me deeper and deeper into the ocean. I was waiting for my lungs to give but water just kept entering and entering. My eyes were sore but I didn't dare to open them._

 _I didn't want to be greeted by the dark._

 _I just wanted to be a musical conductor._

 _There was a noise in my head._

 _I just wanted it out._

" _Do you want the pain to stop?" the voice asked._

 _I nodded,_

" _Let me take over," the voice said—commanded—with a mephistophelian tone._

 _I shook my head. I felt a dusty, desperate hand on my cheek. I dared to open my eyes, meeting the gaze of a broken Hyūga Tokina against the black abyss. I shook her hand away, her smile pleading and her eyes sad. All she really wanted to do was live and here I was, snatching the one chance of life she had. Empathy was always the major antagonist of the human mind. It was conflicting and irritating and didn't mix well with logic but that same emotion or feeling made us human. It made us who we are._

 _But sometimes, selfishness is what gets the better of us._

 _Selfishness helps us survive._

 _And if there was one choice, one belief that I wanted to keep in my hypocritical life?_

 _It was the choice to survive._

 _The choice to_ live.

 _So I pushed Hyūga Tokina away, with memories of hugging Tokuma, being hugged by my mom, talking to Rin and Obito talking to me. The girl that was Hyūga Tokina looked at me sadly, almost angrily. "I just wanted to live…" was her parting words to me in the deep abyss. The water emptied like a tank thanks to the one single thought of wanting to live._

 _Clarity of mind,_

 _Something I haven't experienced in a long time._

 _There was no fields, no poppies, no pianos, no weights; there was only silence, white and me._

… _just me,_

 _It was a nice change of pace._

 _It made me feel weary._

 _There was no air, it was just a vacuum I could breathe in. There was no calmness nor was there a reason to worry. There was no danger but there wasn't a reason to feel safe._

 _And I wasn't alone; I was with my thoughts which started this whole mess._

 _...I suddenly didn't like it anymore._

 _This was worse than a dream or a nightmare._

 _It was reality._

 _A reality I tried escaping once._

 _But I learned my lesson, didn't I? I decided that I wasn't going to run away to the future now and focus on the present. I decided that I would fight and earn the position I was due. I decided that I wasn't going to throw away what I have to chance and a rigged gamble and fight even with these weights in my hands and mind._

 _I need to surpass this prison somehow._

 _And so I began to walk. I began the first step into the white nothingness with uncertainty in my heart and continued with a sure mind. I didn't know if this was one of those cheesy anime moments where the villain tests the "hero's" determination with a seemingly endless maze but right now I wanted to see how far I'll go. It wasn't about me but it was about the people that I love and those people are destined to die._

 _I knew from first-hand experience that the afterlife is not pleasant._

 _Maybe it was a selfish desire for them to jot leave me or making them a means to atone my so-called sins, I didn't know but what I did know was that I needed to get back to Orochimaru so he could give me a sword and a shield. Whether it was dirty or clean, a weapon is a weapon and a knight is a knight. It has a use and it will be used. Disregard honor when your life is in danger. Disregard safety when they threaten your family. Disregard morals when they try to bring you down._

 _And smile misery at the face because you know that you're better than them._

 _Because you'll always stand up, shakily or not,_

 _And I'm going to stand up with the widest smirk in my face._

 _I need them alive and they need me alive for them to stay alive._

 _My arms became heavier and heavier with every step while my feet lagged at every breath. I wanted to see the night sky so I can see the day break again. I wanted to see the new day instead of reliving the good days. It didn't feel like I was walking or trudging but it felt like I was dragging myself to where I wanted to go. I bit my teeth and pursued anyway. I wanted to lie down. I wanted to lie on the floor and sleep but I resisted the temptation._

 _I smelled the blowing wind that reminded me of the sea. That instant, water instantly flooded in the room from the void._

 _Closing my eyes and pursing my lips like I did before, I took a slower pace when I felt the cold and wet touch my feet. I could barely handle it._

 _But I could,_

 _It might take forever but I might manage. I closed my eyes and let my spine shiver because nothing is wrong with that. You don't just go through my experience and expect yourself not to be traumatized of anything. The water was rushing and was gaining depth, the shallow ankle deep fly like it turned into neck deep. My breath hitched when I felt hands pushing me, pulling me, touching me in places I didn't want to be touched. I wanted to thrash and cry but my tears were worth more than that. I wasn't strong nor was I feigning strength from keeping it all in. No, I was telling them that they aren't worth shedding my constipated emotions for. I tightened my closed eyes when I felt cuts and bruises from the water but they were only that: cuts and bruises,_

 _The pain, I could handle. It wasn't that big of a deal._

 _There are people waiting for me when I wake up and I'm sure as hell waiting for them. I released a breath I didn't know I was holding for so long. The water suddenly subsided, the hands dropped yet the scars remained. The weight was still there but I continued trudging on beneath the weight sky and above the white floor. They didn't reflect anything and there were no remnants of water. I continued walking, the wind growing stronger._

 _I smelled fresh strawberries and vanilla._

 _I tasted salt and soap._

 _I felt terrible._

 _The weight grew but I continued walking nevertheless. I squinted my eyes, finding a single piano in the distance. I continued walking, the scents and feelings growing stronger the closer I walked to the instrument that started it all. The weight was replaced with overwhelming joy; joy that I wanted to trap into a box so I could keep it for all eternity. I smiled and sat down the comfortable stool, a butterfly resting on the key. I looked at the butterfly, looking dusty and wet. I stared at the butterfly, my hands wanting to play something in the piano but found that I couldn't._

 _So I decided to not play anything at all._

 _I stood up from the stool, my feet meeting grass and daffodils. I felt the heavy weight lighten as I found a single purple anemone in my hands. I smiled at the flower, a butterfly coming close and landing on the purple flower. It began using that single flower to pollinate the numerous daffodils and kept the field beautiful. My chest still held a weight but for some reason I felt it lighten. I turned around to see Akinosuke, more lively and energetic, keeping the rainbow color palette._

 _"Hope tastes better than grief," he gave me a cheeky smile. I gave him a blank stare, weary at his sudden appearance. "Hyūga Tokina, if that is your name, you and I both know that you need me to survive and I need you to live. Why don't we come into that mutual understanding and work in tandem like we did before this mess ever happened?"_

 _I crossed my arms since I didn't know what to do with them. He knew what I wanted and I knew what I wanted from him._

 _This is why you read the terms and conditions._

 _"What do you want?" I questioned, letting the wind blow as I held the strange anemone. I felt that I would lose everything if I let that single flower in my hand go. It was irrational since it was just a flower but I didn't know what compelled me to just keep it._

 _"I suggest..." Akinosuke looked thoughtful before smirking. "I suggest that I teach you how to release all your negativity and weaponize it. I'll teach you how to push all those thoughts that's been eating you since your birth."_

 _Weaponizing all my emotions? I thought of the repercussions of it and honestly I couldn't find any. I am, admittedly, an emotional bitch when the mood hits me and all the baggage I have? I'm pretty sure if I threw the said bag and someone, it would be the equivalent of crushing them with a boulder. The question was if I could get my bag back?_

 _"It won't do you any harm." He tantalized me with the promise of power. After he tortured me with that mind fucking and emotional marathon (literally) he had the audacity to just offer me a knife I could use to stab him? What makes him think I wouldn't use that knife on him?_

 _"What do you gain from this?" I questioned, knowing nothing in this world ! or any world for the matter ! is free. He frowned and opened his lips "All I get is the taste of the delicious feeling called "hope" and "desire"." Akinosuke all but groaned needily. "But what I want to taste most of all is that raw obsession you hold for your loved ones. I can't get enough of it." The butterfly monster threw away his indifferent facade for the gluttonous spirit that he really was._

 _I narrowed my eyes "And leave me an emotionless husk? No."_

 _He seemed to catch himself being...creepy and continued with the proposal. "I'm not saying I take all your emotions away from you. Far from it. I can't even grasp your soul without burning myself." He admitted like it was a huge disappointment, shaking his head before continuing "All I ask for is a small taste of what it's like to live two lives, a taste of emotion, a taste of feelings, a taste of what it's like to be...human." he muttered the last part in longing._

 _I was still weary. It didn't seem like he was hiding anymore things from me but that was coming from a girl that naively didn't read the fine print before signing a contract that involved your soul and blood. I twirled the flower around my fingers, Akinosuke eyeing it hungrily despite all the daffodils around him. I have something he wants and I'll exhaust that want to the full extent._

 _Like a business woman._

 _My undergrad course is ABM afterall._

 _"What makes you think that I'd accept despite the things that happened minutes ago?" I raised an eyebrow._

 _He smiled, obviously prepared for the question. "You really don't have anything to lose. Store all your negative emotions like what you've been doing and I'll release them for you. All I take is a morsel of what so want."_

 _I scoffed, making sure the purple anemone in my hand was far away from his hungry eyes "Then what was the whole point of that torture?"_

 _"To see if you could feel anything other than that garbage." He said in disdain. "That's what happened with my last summoner. He began tasting foul, almost rotten. I wanted to see if he could feel anything else other than apathy, laziness and self-hatred. He didn't and he succumbed to it and died." Akinosuke refered to him like a disappointment that he didn't want to talk about. "A waste of a man, letting his heart rule over another man. What did he expect, in this society after all?"_

 _I pursed my lips, feeling slight pity for the poor guy that suffered heartbreak over unrequited love._

 _That still isn't enough to give me my flower though,_

 _Akinosuke seemed tired with dealing with me, his eyes eying only the flower in my hands. "What do you want?" The hungry creature asked a little bit impatiently._

 _"I want my loved ones safe." I said a matter a factly._

 _"I cannot assure that, as you may obviously know. I am bound to my realm as you are to yours." He narrowed his eyes like I was mocking him with my liberty that he was hindering._

 _I gave him a sideways smirk. "Exactly, you can't offer me anything that I need for me and my purpose. I already know how to make a stable genjutsu without you. I have snakes as a fallback and taijutsu as a fallback after that." He seemed irrstated at my bluff, considering the words at a face value, not risking any assumptions._

 _"I don't know what else I can give you besides the things I know."_

 _I didn't hide my smile. "Don't take away my memories."_

 _He instantly froze over. "No." Akinosuke almost growled in an absolute manner._

 _"Then release me." I tapped my foot a little bit errant. "If you don't then I'll find my way to release myself, cancel this contract and make sure you never get another summoner."_

 _He barked at my audacity. "Oh?" Akinosuke challenged with an arched eyebrow._

 _"I lived once and I'm living again. Do you really doubt me breaking off a contract?" I returned the not-so bluff. This is the world where you could trap large chakra monsters into infants, so I knew there was a way to seperate a soul that was chained to another. All I needed was a fuinjutsu master which was somewhat easy to attain since I was one of the students of the Sannin. If not then I've been in missions with Namikaze Minato once or twice whose girlfriend is an Uzumaki, one of the clans known for their fuinjutsu._

 _It wasn't a bluff anymore._

 _He took the threat as it was. I could have sworn he tutted his lips if it wasn't for the strong gust of winds. I clutched my small anemone just in case. "Where will the source of your emotions in that small village you reside in doesn't even have a livr human you can feed off of?" I leaned closer._

 _"What do you want?" He said, a little desperate._

 _I smirked, holding the anemone closer to my chest._

* * *

I walked beside Orochimaru to the gate of Konoha after four months of just experimentation, getting my body back into shape and making sure that all my negativity is put into good use. The five chunin stationed there widened their eyes in surprise since they probably never expected that one of the three sannin would come and go into Konoha on their shifts. One of the five took Orochimaru's papers gently like it was some sort of treasure. The mature one of the five scoffed at them and gave me an expectant look.

I gave an expectant and slightly desperate look to the snake-sannin. "I-uh, don't have my papers with me..." I struggled out. It was embarrassing how your home was in your reach but your forgetful self didn't remember where you put the key. The mature one raised an eyebrow at this.

Orochimaru snickered at my side, thriving in the awkwardness. "I can vouch for her."

The two who was checking is out looked uncertain before letting us through.

When we were a considerable distance from them, I nudged his arm and muttered a distasteful "You could have said that earlier, shishou."

Said shishou laughed at me and returned it with a cheeky smile.

Being experimented by him gave us a lot of time to...bond in a macabre and messed up sort of way. He didn't just suddenly blurt out "Did you know, I used to actually have a soul." but we were comfortable with each other's presences. Those four months weren't comfortable; don't get me wrong, fighting my inner demons while trying to get a grip was the hardest part of those months. I wasn't okay under the hood; it was obvious since the moment I was born here that I had a few screws loose and some bolts that needed to be tightened. I wasn't okay with myself feeling this way and so I decided that I was going to do something about that, despite my usual reflex to just run away from the problem.

To tighten screws, I needed a screwdriver.

To move around, I needed oil.

To make sure the bolts don't fall out, I needed a wrench.

So I got the tools that I needed in the name of my family since everything I'm about to do, I'm going to do it for them. I wasn't all that important, and this isn't about the story since I really don't give a damn if Naruto is born or not, but it was about the lives that made me feel like I was alive. They helped me live and they didn't make me feel like I was just...there, existing. My "former" didn't make me feel that way, just to be clear on that; they were nice, tolerant and supportive.

I took them for granted, like many things I had in my past life. If there was a way that would let me visit the old world with me in it even just for a minute, I would use it in a heartbeat.

Slapping a person wouldn't take a second.

Real-talking her to make sure she doesn't drown herself might take more than two seconds, though. Look at what that bitch left me with, baggage that I didn't need and a fear of a human necessity that was only worsened thanks to torture. It was hard to just "stop" water. It was pathetic how I turn into a shivering mess whenever I hear a goddamn droplet of water crash against a metal sink. It was sad when I could barely drink the thing without puking it out even if it tasted really good.

It was sad the first few months.

Now?

It was just irritating and made me just fed-up with it. I knew it was a psychological thing, you don't need to be a Yamanaka or a Nara to see that. Psychological scars don't have white blood cells to heal them, which was the problem. I couldn't risk therapy with a Yamanaka just in case they found out that there were a lot of things I was smuggling into this world in the old trunk of mine. What do I say? "Oh, this? Don't worry; I was just under a really convincing genjutsu."

Speaking of Yamanakas, I couldn't help but wonder how Taizo was doing. He should be about fifteen by now, if I still remembered his birthday. The poor kid, he must be feeling guilty about this whole dilemma. I wanted nothing more than to visit him and tell him "it's okay" and "I'm sorry" but I just didn't have the time for it. I knew how bad guilt was, especially if you think that you thought you could have done something and more often than not, in the world where goddesses and children could step on the same footing, there must have been something he could have done.

But he was only human.

At the end of the day, we're all a little bit flawed, aren't we?

I mean, look at me for instance. Maybe I could have reacted better or been more observant. What I have done could have been written off as an insult to the Hyūga Clan, having all-seeing eyes but not being able to react fast enough. Should I have screamed and betray ny training not to? Maybe they just didn't notice I wasn't there. Or did they just want to ditch me so they could save their butts. I didn't hesitate or scold myself when I thought that I would do the same because, let's face it, who wouldn't? An entire village was after you and you wanted to save someone so disposable and easily replicated? It might be a harsh way of thinking but this is what Konoha thought of us in the time of war, not as her children but as tools to defend her "good" name and her "humble" cause.

Nationalism and patriotism isn't worth for dirt when you're bleeding in places you never thought you would and burning in temperatures you thought you could never endure.

That's why I made my own "good" and "humble" cause.

To get those who don't deserve to burn before the match even lit up.

That required careful planning and if there was anything I wanted more of despite having more than enough of is time. All I did was train, adjust the seal, control my emotions and learning how to weave my own faith and break away from the terrible limbo that my friends and family is going to endure. And for what? Plot?

I realized that if I threw a rock at someone that mattered, I could have instantly rewritten the entirety of Naruto and his superficial biography.

So that's what I'm going to do now.

I'm going to throw the biggest rock this world has ever seen.

We found ourselves in front of the Hokage's tower. My brooding and neutral mood was instantly replaced with a terrible mixture of nervousness, anxiousness and anticipation all at once, getting worse and worse as we took more steps forward on the stairs. My hands started shaking at the prospect of fucking everything up from the get-go. If I didn't succeed with this talk, then I would fail in every other single plan.

Well, not every single one. I had a backup plan but that involved killing off people that I could hardly kill and destroying my loved ones dreams and aspirations which could leave them depressed and I didn't want that...

...if I could help it.

As long as their alive, right?

When we were in front of the closed door that separated us and the Hokage, Orochimaru gave me a look that said "Not yet," I nodded, hiding my shaking hands behind my back and held them to try and get the shaking to stop. I stepped to the side, away from the door and the Hokage's line of sight, leaning on the wall while trying to gather my thoughts. Orochimaru nonchalantly opened the door, a wave of greeting from the Hokage was heard and a deadpan and unamused Orochimaru responded. This is it. This is the day that I'm going to change some bratty kid's biography forever. I summoned a purple butterfly, which fluttered slowly out of my sleeve. I focused and channelled my stress and negativity to it, the butterfly faltering for a second before catching itself. Slowly but surely, I felt myself feeling confident, weightless and thinking to myself "Yeah! I can do this! I I can save my friends and family and nobody—not even the Hokage—can stop me now!"

"Tokina-chan, come in here." Orochimaru's familiar and raspy voice called out to me.

I almost overwhelmed the purple butterfly with the sudden stress.

Fuck, who the hell am I kidding?! Nobody could be ready for this.

I began taking slow steps, my eyes on the Hokage and him alone, trying to fool him with the confidence I didn't have. My stomach felt heavy and I wiped the sweat out of my hands to the back of my hakama. I bowed a little stiff for my liking and managed to mutter out a barely audible "Hokage-sama, I'm very sorry for the delay and clumsiness but I have returned." I raised my head a little bit and found the revered modern God of Shinobi staring at me like I was a ghost, which made me feel awkward and a little bit out of place. Orochimaru giggled at the situation, continuing to leech and feed off the awkwardness I was feeling. He continued staring before coughing to regain his formal demeanour. He replaced the shocked expression with a pleasant smile.

"Well, I'm sorry for doubting you, Orochimaru-kun." The brunette said with a genuine smile. "It seems you actually did return with your student in tow before a year."

"Hmph," He rolled his eyes, "The mistake was doubting the capabilities of one of your best students." Orochimaru crossed his arms and gave the _Hokage_ the biggest smug grin he probably could ever manage.

The Hokage took it as a jest and laughed, "Indeed I have, indeed I have." He muttered out. I straightened my body when the Hokage shifted his eyes to me. My stomach sank and I held my hands behind me, risking the little rudeness I was probably giving off. He raised an eyebrow but seemed to not think any more of it before turning his gaze back to the pale man next to me. Hiruzen ordered him to report, and so Orochimaru did. I ignored what Orochimaru said to the Hokage since I knew most of it is going to be a lie anyway. We didn't spend four months of "therapy" and "training", we spent it on making sure that the Animal Seal doesn't kill me while _I_ tried giving myself therapy. It didn't work. I couldn't step on a harmless puddle made by rain if it saved my life. He was a heartless, conniving snake and so was his student. They were independent, refused help and never admitted to their inner demons.

If only I was as strong as him…

"Very good, Orochimaru-kun. You may leave." The Hokage told Orochimaru. "I have a few things to discuss with Tokina-chan." He faced me and gave me a grandfatherly smile. I was amazed at his ability to make me feel like I was worth it and seemed genuinely pleased that I was standing in front of him and not lying on a stretcher. It almost made me feel bad that he was going to die by the hands of one of his own students.

…almost,

Orochimaru gave me a strange look that reeked suspicion. I faced the Hokage while Orochimaru bowed a "bye" and took a few steps before closing the door behind us. There was a strange silence hanging in the air between me and the Hokage and I couldn't decipher what it was.

Nor did I care because there is something more important than the social atmosphere between us.

Compared to Tokuma, Akane, Rin, Obito, everything else just seems so unimportant. I summoned all my courage, using my emotionless face as a mask to disguise the inner conflict I was feeling right now. I prevented shaking my head and favoured summoning a purple butterfly under my sleeve and moving all the doubts I had into it to store for later use for my negativity release. Before I would lose the bravery I manage to scrounge up together, I blurted out:

"Tokina-"

"Hokage-sama, please forgive my rudeness but if I could just interrupt for one second!" I said a little bit too loudly which should be deemed a little inappropriate in any other situation. His eyes told me that he didn't expect this. It was so strange how a seasoned shinobi would let his eyes be so expressive. It could mean the death of his comrades if he didn't hide it behind a mask. He stayed silent, waiting for me to say something else. I took it as a cue and told him. "I-If I may, I'm just going to take a look around the room.", putting an index finger in front of my lips. The Hokage glared but nodded slowly.

It was amazing how trusting this man is for a shinobi.

I activated my Byakugan, the Hokage narrowed his eyes at the obvious sign of aggression but remained silent. I looked down on the floor while trying to catch Orochimaru's snake spies. There was one under his desk, another one behind a potted plant and a third one wedged between the walls. As predicted, there was an ANBU guard in the ventilation system, kunai and shuriken on hand, waiting for any kind of signal that I would harm the Hokage. I made a show of summoning my king cobras, three slithering out of my sleeves. They crawled on the floor, moving to the snakes. The Hokage stared at the one crawling over his desk to eat the small garter snake trying to escape. While he was distracted, I summoned the smallest butterfly I could manage. It fluttered out of the hole of my kimono shirt, into the vents. The guard didn't notice it thanks to the darkness and the camoflauge granted by its wings. The small butterfly placed the ANBU guard on genjutsu while the snakes were busy eating their treats. They slithered back into my sleeves and I deactivated my Byakugan and bowed fervently to the Hokage.

"I'm sorry for the rudeness, Hokage-sama. It's just that Orochimaru-shishou always keeps some sort of snakes near me to hear on my conversations. I don't know why he does that but…" I bowed, "Please forgive my rudeness."

I raised my head enough to see him raise his hand, "Its fine, Tokina-chan. Orochimaru-kun always had…trust issues." He said darkly and left it there. I knew that he didn't buy it, though, which I was hoping for. It would paint me as the ignorant victim who trusted her shishou.

He nodded, regaining his professionalism with a pleasant smile. "Very well, now that we are talking privately, I would like to discuss a form of payment?" he said with his eyes twinkling. "If you could excuse this old man's favouritism, but I do want to keep my student's student alive for as long as I can." He seemed to drop his Hokage tone and shifted to a more tired, grandfatherly one. I couldn't help but wonder if this was the same person that shooed of his son all for the sake of a mission. "You have been a really good influence on Orochimaru. He revered deemed any sort of life worthy before you came. There was a certain fire in his eyes when he heard you were kidnapped."

I couldn't say "It's because I contain some sort of foundation for a really powerful seal he could use against you and he got angry since he probably thought of me as some prized experiment or a really expensive piece of property," since I wanted to side with him.

"I guess all I want to say is…thank you for turning Orochimaru into a decent man I always dreamed of him being." He smiled his tone so soft it would make a baby's butt cheek feel like a rock in comparison. "So, is there anything you want? A promotion? A raise perhaps?" I felt a sort of guilt in my chest knowing this man before me is going to die by the same man he thought was finally turning to the light yet I couldn't risk my plans for his life.

What's one life in exchange for four more?

So I began Phase One, to get into the plot.

Step one of Phase One; get Rin out of the line of fire.

I anticipated this; the poor man only wanted what's best for his students. He was trying so hard to make Orochimaru redeemable and he thought that giving him a student—me—would finally teach him the value of life. It didn't but he didn't know that; since he rescued me, once can assume that a powerful man like the Hokage can manage to praise this by giving his student's student a prize so that they would live and continue making the dark and brooding man somewhat friendlier towards society so I began my little lines. "I'm honored by the praise you're giving me, Hokage-sama." I lied through my teeth, "But I'm afraid I need to decline the promotion _and_ the raise." I gave him a sheepish smile and tilted my head slightly to make it feel more natural.

Hiruzen raised his eyebrows in shock; he seems to be doing that lately. I already knew that rejecting a promotion is unusual since it only happens only a few years, especially in my age _and_ case. "Not many Shinobi gets to be jonin, especially at your age, Tokina-chan." He reminded me with a hint of curiosity in his voice.

"I know, Hokage-sama. I am fully aware that I'm passing up a wonderful opportunity that I would have accepted in different circumstances..." I twiddled my fingers, giving off a nervous and unsure stance around me. I let my eyes become sad and avoid looking him in the eye. "But with what I've gone through…I'm a little scared of the responsibility." I revealed with a slight chuckle.

"Tokina-chan…" he looked at me with slight pity in his eyes. The butterfly in the vent quietly fluttered near the Hokage, casting a genjutsu that would enhance his pity and symphathy. His eyes diluted before becoming focused again, a clear sign that the genjutsu worked. The butterfly rested behind his chair, fluttering innocently, trapping the trained ANBU and a Hokage. "If there's anything I can do for you, anything at all, please let me know. " He said, leaning forward.

"There is something, Hokage-sama…"I said with uncertainty, Akinosuke warning me that he will remember all this so I still need to play my part.

I took a silent breath in.

The moment where I can't turn back now.

I have all my cards ready, the situation could never be better with all the people in a genjutsu and I made sure that I was alone.

Here it goes…

"Oh, and what's that?" He articulated with a curious tone, resting his head with his clasp hands, his elbows on the desk in a pose much like Sasuke when he was talking about his dreams.

"Well, you see..." I fidgeted, giving off the nervousness vibe which I hope I conveyed perfectly.

The nervousness became real when the butterfly began faltering, the Hokage clasped his head. My eyes widened and my head turned to the vent and I risked activating my Byakugan and deactivating it quickly. The ANBU was coming to! I rushed, summoning a wave of butterflies, the wind speed gave off a gust the Hokage didn't see, the kaleidoscope of the insects fitting in the vent, trapping the ANBU in an escapable genjutsu while I ran to the Hokage and touched his back.

"Hokage-sama! Are you okay?" I said, the concern being genuine. If his head was hurting badly, that might affect the chances of making sure Tokuma, Akane, Rin and Obito live!

"I am…fine. Its just a slight migraine. I haven't been sleeping all that well." He chuckled tiredly which I joined in, his lack of sleep being evident on his puffy eye bags but I knew that wasn't the case of his headache.

I couldn't tell if he knew he was under a genjutsu or not.

"Are you sure you are fine, Hokage-sama? I can heal you with my sparse knowledge of healing jutsu." I said, beginning the seals for it. He held his palm, continuing to regain his bearings, "Please, Tokina-chan. Don't trouble yourself with me." He said, "If I can't endure a migraine, how can I endure the entire village on my back?" he chided humorlessly.

…he probably knew.

I was fucked,

"Anyway, as you were saying?" he gave me curious eyes, probing ones.

I gulped, stepping back to place.

I proceeded anyway, risking it.

"...It's about my friend, Rin." I confessed, hiding the guilt and shame behind a sad smile that was genuine. "She's super smart and a great medic-nin from what I can remember, maybe she's gotten better, I don't know." I started a little bit slowly. "She's being trained by my mom as a medic and is going to graduate soon, I think." I began, pausing. My heart throbbing, unsure if the Hokage was buying all of this.

So I decided to take a page out of Obito and followed what my heart told me, for once in my life.

"With the war, I don't think she'd be a good field medic. I don't want her to get hurt." I confessed truthfully.

He raised an eyebrow while he was adjusting his seat. "So you're saying that you would kill her chances of being a shinobi?" he said a little bit too sharply.

I knew what he was doing. He was trying to see if my intentions are in the right place, which was the reasonable outcome if you suspected someone casted a genjutsu on you. It was still bad for me but I already planned this path of conversation out.

"No, Hokage-sama. I was suggesting that you would kindly allow giving her an internship in medic-corps as an intern when she graduates. The requirements to join them would be to be at least chunin, five years residency and experience at the hospital _or_ a scholarship from the Hokage, right? That way she could be a fine ninja and a medic-nin that would help more people other than three members." I reasoned out, trying to smother the obvious desperation with logic.

He pursed his lips in thought. "I have already assigned her to a genin team, leaving one slot open..."

I smiled, relief swelling in my chest. "Well, you see, that was the second favor I wanted to ask of you…if you allow it of course."

"Hm? Do you recommend someone?" Hiruzen spoke with the same tone.

"I wish to take her place." I managed to _not_ shriek.

He blinked

"One jonin, two chunin and a genin? That would be an unfair balance shift." He didn't falter.

I thought if this beforehand. It shocked me how manipulative and paranoid I can be, thinking of all possible scenarios in my head while I practiced genjutsu in those four months let me prepare for this conversation and a few blueprint plans. Blueprint plans that involved kidnap, genocide and a plan about espionage and bombs but viable blueprint plans nonetheless.

"Well, there is no denying that I'm…not normal, broken even." I reminded him with the smallest bit of self-deprecation leaking my tone while I accompanied it with a sheepish, slit eyed smile.

He immediately softened, "Tokina-chan…"

I got him!

"I know its selfish but…I just really want to take it slow." I faced him, lifting the mask in the perfect time to reveal my tired expression. "I just…I don't want her to feel what I've been through." I muttered out, losing my composure and let the slight desperation through the thoroughly built dam I made. "Besides, I also have skill, albeit not as good as Rin-chan, with medical-ninjutsu." I pointed out, my speed of speech becoming faster with every word which was purely _not_ on purpose. "And when you think we're ready, you could make us a four man cell. Uchiha Obito, who might be dead last now has the biggest potential out of our—her—batch, and not because he's a chunin.

He gave me an assessing glance while I continue to persuade him.

"Think about it, Hokage-sama. A Hatake, Uchiha and a Hyūga would be the ultimate tracking team." I blurted out, desperate for the place in the team.

He look thoughtful for a second, stroking his goatee much like Jiraya did in the anime before smiling at me and saying. "I'll think about it, Tokina-chan. Thank you for your input. You may earn your break now." He smiled at me and waved goodbye. I bowed, muttering a thank you. When I left the Hokage tower, I released the ANBU from his genjutsu, the butterflies immediately flying out of sight and finding a way to me to return them to Akinosuke's body.

I walked to a secluded place in the forest and activated my Byakugan to make sure no one was listening, sending out a few snakes and butterflies just in case before I let out a furious shriek.

I messed up.

I messed up bad.

I mentioned the team comp.

He doesn't know that I knew the team comp.

Fuck fuck fuck FUCK!

* * *

Hiruzen was no fool.

He knew that Tokina put him in a genjutsu.

He knew that whatever Tokina was planning was out of pure selfishness, just like she said herself but he didn't know if it was for _her_ or for _Orochimaru_. Did his student brainwash the poor girl into replacing the Nohara so that she could have access to Namikaze-kun, who was aspiring the same position as his student? It was a possibility he had to consider but the only thing stopping him from marking it as suspicious is the fact that her eyes were _so_ desperate. There was tiredness with apathy, he didn't know that those same, bright eyes could be so colorless, it shakened him. Yet, despite the deadness of those eyes, there was some sort of light and warmth beneath it all.

He identified it as "hope".

Maybe the girl actually _did_ want to save her friend from the hardship.

Maybe the girl actually _did_ want to "take it slow".

He couldn't deny those possibilities as well. She was tortured by Kiri, that much he knew was true. With the small patches of skin she revlead (which was not a lot since the girl was really conservative), he couldn't help but notice that every single one had some sort of scar. The bandages she wore reached her fingertips and even there he could see gashes. Her neck wasn't spared with the décor and the many "love marks" Kiri gave her.

He really did feel sympathy for her plight.

She really was broken.

He knew that look all too well.

So he wasn't lying when he really _was_ going to think about it.

* * *

I wanted to cry at my failure. I faced the door that I shouldn't be in front of. My fist was trembling, not out of anger, but out of guilt and fear and shame. I shouldn't be here. I should be coming up with a backup plan. It didn't take me one day to fail miserably. I couldn't knock. I couldn't face them knowing that I caused them certain death when I vowed that I would try to help them. I summoned a purple butterfly, absorbing my guilt but it didn't seem to help. More and more just kept coming.

I lowered and relaxed my fist.

…I wasn't ready.

I didn't push myself. I turned around and was prepared to run away from my problems _again_.

"Tokina-chan?"

My head shot straight up at the familiar sight of the brunette, with the same purple markings around her cheeks wearing that same surprised expression I used to make fun of since she always left her mouth hanging wide open.

"R-Rin…" I muttered, taking a step back and instantly freezing in place. I couldn't move. My body didn't allow it.

"I-Is that really you, Tokina-chan?" She blinked, stepping forward.

"R-Rin, I-" I sniffed, tears threatening to fall down. "It really is me, Rin!" I blurted out, taking a step forward as well. "It's me…I'm back." I muttered, unsure. The girl let her tears fall down as she shrieked with what I could identify as…delight.

She was delighted that I was back.

She wasn't mad.

She shouldn't be mad.

She didn't know.

I heard more voices, familiar voices, all exclaiming my name. The weight and warmth suddenly became bigger. I was surrounded by the people I loved.

Only in that moment, it didn't matter if I was a failure or not. They didn't make me feel like I shamed them or I didn't deserve their love or that I was just a waste of space and air that I always thought I was, before and now.

That moment, they made me feel like I was their everything.

* * *

AN.

8000+ words.

At least I know it's _longer_ than the original.

Final editing of Chapter 26, which is relatively short so stay tuned!


	26. Chapter 26: Reverse Ophelia 3

AN.

AND HERE IS THE DOUBLE POST!

WARNINGS: A LOT OF POV SHIFTS. Each POV shift is 3rd person omnipotent type, which means that all thoughts and ideas are available to the reader except Tokina, since she's strictly 1st person view. Each POV shift is also a time skip. ALSO I'm sure there's this line about mediocrity and _please don't over analyze it_. As I said before, this was pre-made and edited so...yeah.

I'm not depressed/bummed out anymore I swear.

* * *

"I am so relieved that your back." Akane sighed as she ate her beef stew. Obito nodded like an old man, letting his rice scatter on the table, prompting to Rin reflexively scold him. Tokuma waved his hands and garbled, demanding for attention. Her daughter gave her a sheepish smile and muttered a small, "Me too, mom." as she sipped her beef stew.

Akane missed that sheepish smile.

Those months have been the darkest of her life. She buried herself in work, training Rin and caring for Tokuma and Obito when he was around, which he was frequently. Tokina and Tokuma is her only real family now and she refused to give them up. The Hokage wouldn't even offer her child's whereabouts to her! She knew she was chunin and an adult but she was a mother! What did she get when she questioned him?

A sigh and an "I'm sorry."

That is not going to cut it.

Rin and Obito were obviously worried for her those months. They really did not show it but they were, some more than others. Rin wasn't afraid of addressing the situation yet Obito tried to mask it with his jolly attitude. It was refreshing but guilt-tripping all the same. The fact that she had to rely on a child for strength speaks volumes about her vulnerability. Four months is a really long mission but at the same time, the two children knew she would come stumbling home like she always did after. It kind of shamed her that, the fact that the mother didn't even believe Akane wanted to believe them; she tried so hard.

Well, her mistake has been corrected now.

They were right.

She did come stumbling home.

Albeit, not as "complete" as she was before. It would be called stupidity if you expected a person would return to your household with a smile and a promise of eternal happiness, yet she will stand by her daughter as she picked up her broken pieces. Maybe she'll hand those shards for her while she picks up her own.

It was a strange thought but it still had the promise of bonding with her.

"Glad to be back." She replied, sipping her broth. The children began talking animatedly on what she did on those four months. She was mostly defensive and tried to hide something but whenever she saw that patient smile and the content in her eyes that the Hyūga mother has never seen before. There was warmth in her eyes that was never there before. She thought, for that long moment, that her daughter would be just fine.

Never in her whole life did she think that she could be so utterly wrong about something.

As they were finishing their stew, they began doing the mundane clean-up that accompanied with the celebratory dinner. She gathered the dishes in the table in a quick succession while Obito took a washcloth and Rin taking a broom. Akane returned Tokuma to his crib where he instantly slept the moment his head touched the soft fabric of his people. She saw Tokina helping with the gathering of dishes. She thanked her child with a smile and the latter did the same.

Akane did not comment on how fidgety she was as Tokina quickened her step as if to avoid a dangerous enemy.

She turned the sink on.

There was a subsequent sound of breaking dishes followed with an alarmed "'Kina-chan, are you okay?" by Obito.

"I'm fine," she responded, Akane imagining her daughter turning to Obito with that sheepish smile she was known for and a tilt of head, a habit that seemed to have been passed on.

She knew that her daughter was lying. She could tell by how her fingers twitched and how her form turned rigid for a second. Tokina muttered a "I'll sweep, don't worry." before rushing outside, not where they keep the cleaning utensils. They heard the door open and close, the people who were left in the house all turned to Akane despite them wanting nothing more than to run off and make sure that their long-lost friend was okay.

"If she says she is okay, then she is okay." She convincingly said to herself, yet the children seemed to take that as an answer.

Akane washed the feeling of her failing as a mother off with the grime and left over soup. She knew that she wasn't okay but what was she doing now? She was lying because she was tired of dealing with all this...drama. it might seem selfish of her but all she wanted was to be happy with her family members and she vowed that she will give Tokina justice but is it really selfish of her to let the tiring mother, who has been worrying about her daughter's life while she was on both of her duties, where both of them needed her utmost attention? Was she doing the right thing? Tokina never asked for help and when she did, Akane was willing to help her one hundred percent.

Tokina will get through this.

She has to.

* * *

"Mom, Dad, I'm going out..." Rin called from her home. She wondered why she even bothered since those two never actually paid any attention to her. It was ironic that the business that saved them from poverty so their daughter would live a happy life would be the reason it deprived her of parental affection. If she was bitter, she would have laughed at the absurdity of it all.

She was grateful for the riches her parents gave her when they do notice her. She just wished that she got more hugs and kisses than dolls and dresses that she doesn't even use that much. The brown haired girl waited for a grunt or a sound of acknowledgement from both of them. They were probably doing their taxes or trying to find a new, fashionable design that would appeal to civilians and shinobi alike.

She waited a five full seconds before walking out the door, like she normally does every day. She slipped off her newly bought slippers and into more, unfashionable yet comfortable ones she uses for kunoichi use.

It was almost graduation, so she needs to work hard like Obito and Tokina. Rin was so happy when Obito's grades rose up suddenly in those months where Tokina disappeared. She was a bit sad that the Uchiha didn't need her as much as before but she was happy nonetheless. He was close to achieving his dream with this simple step and together, they're going to save the world and bring peace to all nations!

Tokina, however...

She wanted to believe that she was okay but, according to her text books and her common sense, it was easy to tell that she isn't. She didn't know it was possible for someone to become even more blasé, indifferent and silent. She cracked a joke once or twice and smiled whenever the two did something that normally amused her but that was it. It just felt so forced and felt like she was just playing a part. Her eyes seemed darker than before but she knew she was telling the truth whenever she said "I'll be fine as long as you guys are with me." Although her long lost friend put up a good revere, she saw the little signs whenever she lied to herself. She was a good liar, before; she knew that sometimes the normally polite Hyūga would fool even her own mom when she needed it!

That was before,

Now she's breaking and Rin wants to keep her from breaking any further.

With these thoughts continuously in her mind, she found herself in front of the academy with the other students. She put on a smile and encouraged herself for a good day and a good future like she always does. Rin took one step into the building and immediately noticed a strange woman with clothing she could recognize as the uniform of the Konoha's Medic-Corps led by Tsunade. She blinked at the mysterious woman before focusing on going back to class. The woman immediately saw her and called her out.

"Excuse me, are you Nohara Rin?" The woman with soft green eyes and blonde hair said in a gentle voice. Rin didn't answer immediately, knowing that any stranger that knows your name is easily suspicious. That was one of the lessons Akane-san taught to her.

"I'm sorry, but I'm going to be late for class, Ms...?" Rin spoke in an apologetic matter. The gentle voiced woman smiled at her, easily picking up to what she was doing. "Yakushi Nonō, vice-leader of the Medic-Corps."

Rin looked flabbergasted while Nonō thought she was cute.

She'll make a fine addition. Nonō could feel it.

Guess they really shouldn't question the Hokage's instincts.

* * *

I've been called to the Hokage's office after a week of doing nothing but worrying, which was never a good sign.

I walked out of my house, prepared a familiar purple butterfly while walking to the Hokage Tower.

With nothing with bad thoughts,

Which is I had the butterfly.

It would be a major waste of ammo.

Maybe he found me knowing the whole "I know where my team is placed" titbit suspicious, as he should. That was a major fucking slip on my part. Jesus fucking Christ, I really need to learn how to say the right things at the right time. Why couldn't I just say what I needed to say and be done with it? Fuck! If this one mistake jeopardizes Rin and Obito's life, it'll be on MY hands.

And the genjutsu?

Don't get me started on that genjutsu!

FUCK!

This is the thing about feelings; they make you say things that you aren't supposed to say.

Sometimes you just want to lock those fuckers up just because they interfere with your logical thinking. Duh, Tokina, he's the fucking Hokage, of course he'll spot it. Maybe it wasn't that. Maybe he sensed that desperation and thought it was suspicious. Tsk! I didn't need to deal with this! I need this to work perfectly! Mediocrity was bad enough, now the threat of it would lead to my downfall...

Again,

That was the whole reason of me dying in the first place. The irritating thing called mediocrity. It was hard to not be stupid yet not be prodigious at the same time. You strive and strive yet what the hell happens? You can pass the college you want to go into yet you wouldn't make the final cut. You can get good grades but you would never be good enough to get recognized because only the smart get the praise that we deserve. It was painful because, unlike ones who fail totally, dream of the big dreams, natively thinking that we would finally grasp it but our own weight drags us down.

...Well not anymore.

I'm going to save those who are important to me. I won't let this weight be a hindrance. I'll use it as a leverage to reach for the stars!

"May I ask if you have an appointment?"

That professional voice snapped my attention to it. I raised my head and found myself in front of the same secretary that I would consult if I needed to go on a mission. He raised his eyebrow, tapping his pen and waiting for my answer.

Fuck,

I had an anime moment again.

"Um, I have an...appointment with the Hokage? Well, not appointment but more like he called me?" I blurted out, looking at him straight at him in the eye. He looked at me for a second before sighing and flipping through his log book, muttering an "It seems so..." He scribbled something in the book and gazed up at me and said a quick "You know what to do."

I nodded and went up the stairs.

I couldn't help but pray to God that I _at least_ wouldn't be executed for treason.

* * *

It was the day of their graduation.

Obito couldn't be any happier than he is now!

Well, Rin could be beside him but she graduated earlier than the rest of the batch since the Medic-Corps got her. Don't get him wrong, he was happy for his cru...friend, almost ecstatic, really but he couldn't feel a little bit lonely when he grabbed the forehead protect he has been yearning for so long from the desk that he absolutely detested and went back to his usually seat near the window but didn't find Rin next to him, smiling and praising him like she used to. The normally joyous Uchiha shook his head to get out of the dark spiral—or as he liked to call it, the Uchiha funk —he was putting himself through. Rin will go to a bunch of places, helping soldiers and villages to become the best medic ninja ever while he was going to be the best Hokage and Tokina is going to be his right hand man...or woman rather.

That was also kinda disappointing. Since Tokina was chunin, which meant that neither of his two friends are at the same team as he is. To be fair, Tokina did come back from a long mission so it should be fine for her to take a break for a few weeks, even if that meant slowing down the process of her becoming his right hand woman.

Oh well, he thought, trying to hype himself up. I bet this team is going to be fun, anyway! He was finally a ninja. A step forward to becoming the greatest Hokage in the Leaf!

He waited for his name to be called by Bitch-sensei.

He waited...

And waited...

And waited some more...

He waited until he was the last person in the fucking classroom. Obito glared at Bitch-sensei, sending the last trio off to who-knows-where, as if his eyes would make time move faster or convince the stupid teacher to just fucking pick him already.

...he was sure the Sharingan can do one of those two things...

It was probably the speeding of time.

Uchiha is the coolest clan, so it must be that.

"Uchiha Obito..." The man he had a relationship of mutual hate for muttered his name and scoffed when he realized who it was. The Inuzuka let the tension build just so that his last student that managed to scrape off the title "dead-last" could suffer under him one last time. He waited for the Uchiha to groan in frustration before voicing out his orders. "Rooftop, now."

Obito spluttered.

"What the hell kind of order is that?!"

The Inuzuka glared and snarled.

"It's the kind of order that will make me revoke your forehead protector if you don't move your ass this instant!"

Obito remained in his seat for a few seconds out of spite and slowly trudged his way to the rooftop.

Hmph, stupid Bitch-sensei, thinking that he's always going to be scared of him. Well not anymore! Uchiha Obito is a certified ninja now! He's going to save princesses, damsels in distress, end the war and bring peace to Konoha. Look out, world, a new shinobi is standing before you right here, right now and his name is Uchiha Obito!

"Yeah!" He exclaimed, letting all his energy go through that one action as he burst through the door, a bored, silver-haired kid that was leaning on the railing gazed up from his book and raised an eyebrow while the blonde man in a chunin vest widened his eyes in surprise next to him. He immediately turned red and sheepish. How lame! Burying the shame and humiliation, and avoiding spluttering and saying things that he might later regret, he took a closer examination of his team. That tall guy was obviously his new Sensei and that silver-haired kid with a face that looked so utterly punchable was...

No!

"What are you doing here?!" He pointed at Bakashi's irritating face. The sullen boy sneered through the mask before mock-rubbing his ears clean. "Not so loud. It's 12:00pm. You'll disrupt the peace." He obnoxiously claimed, rubbing his ears irritating Obito.

Minato sighed inwardly. Two seconds in and they're already fighting. He had his hopes up when they seemed to recognize each other until they started exchanging blows. Team work could either make or break the team if they lacked it and one major aspect of teamwork actually _liking_ your teammates. It was optional but it is recommended and made things _way_ easier.

"Now, now, you two. This is the first day of being a team and youre already fighting." Namikaze Minato chastised with patient tone. The two boys stopped snarling (what the…?) at each other, took a glance at their cheerful sensei and crossed their arms, looking at everything except at each other. It was mostly Obito who was snarling while Kakashi just emitted a low sound at the back of his throat. He hoped that the third wouldn't be as difficult. She did have a reputation to be a good teammate from what he heard and what he experienced but she might be...problematic according to the Hokage.

Speaking of the girl...where was she?

"Hey, uh, sensei?" Obito piped up. "Is it just us or is there a third guy coming? Bit...Dog-sensei didn't really announce your names so..." He scratched his cheek with a little blush as he voiced out Minato's own thoughts.

"Ah, well, I'm Namikaze Minato and this here-" He put his hand on Kakashi's head as an arm rest; the boy did a little 'oopmh' but remained silent for the most part. "-is Hatake Kakashi. It seems you two have met."

The shared sneer and aura of dislike told him he was right in the worst way. He has a lot to work on if he wants to make sure these two want to survive in the same cell, huh? "As for our third member, I actually don't know where she is. She's late." He admitted, watching a purple butterfly flutter around, coming from nowhere.

As if on cue, a dark chocolate haired girl opened the door. She might have looked proper and clean but the vibe she was giving off said that she just woke up from a nap. She blinked her diluted eyes, opening them back to see focused and cold again before focusing. Was she on a genjutsu or something?

She took out a piece of paper and unfolded it in front of them. "Um...Hokage-sama just told me to come here." The Hyūga with the trademark lavender eye informed them, holding out the paper that said 'Go to the School's Rooftop for further instructions'

"So...what's the mission exactly?"

* * *

AN.

I have fulfilled 1/3 promised double posts! Anyway, I owe you guys two more double post weeks so stayed tuned for that. Special thanks to all the people that left me wonderful messages in the reviews (even if I said to just PM me but the thought is still VERY VERY VERY appreciated) and the tracks "I am Lapis Lazuli", "Mirror Gem" "Mirror Match" and everything and anything that involves Lapis Lazuli from SU. Before, Neji and Hinata was my muse but they kinda died out so my new muse is Lapis Lazuli since she reminds me of Tokina so much (especially in the later episodes of the show). Anyway, remember to drink a lot of water and ENJOY LIFE :) (I can't remember if I put an "enjoy life" in chapter 25 but just think that the AN for 25 and 26 is the same :D )


	27. Chapter 27: Pride and Pride and Pride 1

AN.

HAHA! I MANAGED TO BE CONSISTENT.

WARNING: POV SHIFT TO 3rd PERSON OMNISCIENT **sans Tokina's thoughts**. This _might_ be the POV I'm going to use throughout the story to avoid you knowing of Tokina's plans...since it would be lame of me not to. I know this is pretty daring of me but hey, I'm trying. **Just think of Chapter 27 onward as a second season or something.**

ALSO 1/2 OF THIS WEEK'S DOUBLE POST. I'm going to post CH 28 soon but I KNOW it's not today.

* * *

"You're late." Kakashi deadpanned at the Uchiha boy with a dango stick in his mouth. Obito rolled his eyes and showed how he thought of his male teammate by throwing the stick at Kakashi like a kunai, the prodigy dodging it without much surprise at the sudden aggression. , Obito spat on the ground in distaste when his impromptu attempt to kill his teammate failed. "Ugh, you're such a _mom_. Why don't you go wash dishes or something?" Obito complained, rolling his eyes and taking a few challenging steps forward to jab Hatake in the chest.

…Despite Obito not being a challenge for the protégé.

"Thank you for calling me _useful_." Kakashi scoffed coolly, "Maybe one day, you'll be useful too."

Minato was confused.

He was pretty sure the Uchiha boy didn't have a mom.

"Wow," Tokina, who was already at the meeting place even before Minato and Kakashi arrived, admired the two boys with a tone of misplaced admiration next to Minato. "They're actually snarling at each other."

Shortly after, Minato heard the soft sounds of the boys…growling.

The blonde smiled exasperatedly at the Hyūga girl. "You aren't supposed to sound _amazed_ Tokina-chan." He chastised the girl who responded with a small smile. He thought she was going to be the one that unites the team and stop the fights from happening. It sounded a little sexist and Kushina _adamantly_ agreed with his statement but he really couldn't count on the two boys from playing nice if he had to take his opinions from the first time they met. Minato averted his gaze at the boys who were muttering curses and death threats to each other and favored the girl who was just staring at them with a genuine smile on her face, like she was just happy being there. Minato sighed and was about to diffuse the situation before the same girl took a small step forward.

"Hey," Tokina called to the two boys, sounding mildly offended "My mom's pretty great, excuse you." She crossed her arms and smiled at Obito who only had eyes for Kakashi until the girl made her presence noticeable, a mark of an experienced kunoichi. Obito instantly turned at the familiar sound of his best-friend, ignoring Kakashi altogether. He ran up to Tokina and greeted her by putting her in a headlock and giving her a noogie.

Minato, with a careful eye, saw how Tokina's fingers flinch, a viper instantly coming from her sleeve before her eyes widened at the realization of what she's about to do. The viper slithered back to the sleeve. All this in a few seconds of Obito chuckling with Tokina muttering an " _Ow ow ow ow_ ," moments after.

Minato would have been amused if it wasn't for that small timeframe where he was unsure if the girl was mentally capable in running a team with a genin, whether if she was friends with him or not. He, as a teacher, wasn't even sure if this girl could blend in with common society if she acts like this towards civilians.

Despite his thoughts, he still chuckled to make things seem normal.

They already knew each other from the looks of it and how Obito screamed for joy when her "mission" was to help out the team to become a formal three man cell sans Minato. It was interesting to see a Hyūga and an Uchiha on good terms and not comparing their eyes (still creeps Minato out slightly because it's an _organ_.) 24/7. What was also interesting is how the Hokage thought that two chunins and a genin—especially if one of them is an _Uchiha_ and _Hyūga—_ would be a good team composition. Minato thought of all this before he noticed his little apprentice glaring at the two nine-year-olds' horseplay.

Kakashi did not look amused.

Of course faith would give him the two people he didn't want as teammates. He was already okay with the thought of a team after _months_ of coaxing from Minato but what did he get? These immature brats. Why did they even need them? He was perfectly fine with Minato. Those two, even _if_ one of them is a chunin, are only going to slow them down. He directed his glare at the two who were now idly chatting while Tokina fixed her bun with a hair stick, letting two locks escape from it. Ninjas should be professional, not vain and immature.

And he _wasn't_ just saying that because he had a grudge with the girl for showing him memories of his late father.

Minato ruffled Kakashi's locks to stop him from flooding even more killing intent that the two pointedly did _not_ notice, instantly stopping the plans that involved cyanide in bento boxes and fake reports. Minato cleared his throat loudly, _finally_ gaining the attention of the two.

"Since everyone is finally here," A pointed look at Obito who _thankfully_ looked sheepish. "I guess we can have proper introductions and not just "hellos" and death threats."

A low-key scoff from Hatake.

He looked at his mess of a team. It might be a mess but it was _his_ mess. He still couldn't get over it. Forgive him for being a little giddy about it but he always wanted to be a team leader. Minato needed to start small before he could aim for Hokage, after all. "How about we start things with a name and saying our likes, dislikes, hobbies, stuff like that." The seventeen-year-old finished with a smile like he was giving assignments as a kindergarten teacher. He nodded to Kakashi. "You go first, Kakashi."

"Okay." He responded mechanically, all buisness. "My name is Hatake Kakashi. I like dogs. My hobbies are reading and training. I _don't_ like idiots who are late at the first day of being with a team."

Minato cringed.

Obito snarled while Tokina gave a nonchalant shrug.

This was _not_ the first day he wanted for his team.

"Well my name is Uchiha Obito!" Obito exclaimed even when he wasn't even called by Minato. "I like fish sticks and dango. My hobbies are training to become the Hokage and hanging out with my friends." Obito abandoned Tokina quickly and favored jabbing Kakashi in the chest _again_. "What I _don't_ like is bastards who think their better than everyone else!"

Minato, being the sensor-nin that he was, was not joking when he sensed a forest fire duking it out with thunder storm. These boys could be powerful when they grow up; no, he _knows_ that they will become powerful. He can sense their potential. What he needs to do is to guide that power to a proper outlet and _not_ at each other.

…You know, because they're supposed to be a _team_?

He probably could forgive the two. It _was_ their first day after all. He could be a little lenient to them. Minato, instead, looked at the girl and gave her an expectant and patient smile. "Well, how about you, Miss?"

Tokina giggled at the blonde's attempt to do the whole introduction game despite it failing two times in a row. "Ah, sorry," she rushed out, playing Minato's game which made him feel less of a failure. "I'm Hyūga Tokina; I like my friends and my family. My hobbies are reading and taking care of my brother. I don't like…"

Minato's smile faltered a second as he looked at the small girl before him. Her eyes looked like she was battling something, her strange and indescribable chakra raging at the conflict before calming, the girl finally saying "…water."

His instincts told him that was _not_ normal

Obito's eye twitched and he was sure it _wasn't_ because Kakashi told Obito what exactly he thought of the Uchiha and their prestigious nature.

"Hmph, aren't you chunin?" Kakashi gave her an assessing look,"Water walking should be a reflex by now." Kakashi said in the straightest face imaginable. Obito's face morphed into pure anger. Minato kept his own features calm as Obito's chakra felt so hot that it could burn the entire world. It was easy to say that it dwarfed the humble lightning storm but, like an actual lightning storm, Kakashi was above the situation and was oblivious to the fact that he somehow crossed the line.

The girl lazily shrugged, muttering a low and suspicious "You might be surprised what makes people fear water." before Obito did anything he would regret. She might have whispered it but Kakashi stil heard it.

He just didn't think any more of it.

"Okay, now that that's settled—"Minato said in a no-nonsense tone to instantly diffuse the situation, gaining the attention of his unruly children. "I'm Namikaze Minato. I like my girlfriend and naming jutsus. My hobbies are creating jutsus and hanging out with my girlfriend. I don't like war." He clapped his hands with a forced smile. "Now that we have that settled, let's move on to the next step of our _proper_ genin exam."

Obito's face instantly paled at the word _exam_.

…He did not bring a pen.

Minato took two bells from his pocket and jingled them in front of the kids' faces. "Take these bells from me before sun down." He challenged with a cheeky smile. "If you manage to get them, you pass, if you fail, regardless or rank or achievements, you'll be sent back to the academy." He threatened. Obito took the threat at face value while Kakashi just wanted to beat the challenge. "As you can see, there are two bells. That means only two people will get to stay in the team."

"W-Wait? What?!" Obito all but shrieked, looking back and forth to the Hyūga girl that was already in a Jyūken stance and Kakashi who was ready to draw his blade at any moment's notice. "Th-that's not fair!" Obito said a _little_ bit scared at losing his rank.

The girl snickered.

"It's fine, Obito." She reassured, her pale eyes glistening at the bells, summoning snakes and letting them coiling around her bandaged hands. "That means we don't need to play fair, too."

Without warning, Minato attempted to kick the girl square in the stomach. Tokina deftly stepped to the side and grabbed his the foot that would otherwise cause her a _massive_ stomach ache that would have hurt today _and_ tomorrow. There was a small pause, letting the suddenness of the situation and wind settle from both of their speed. She gave him a challenging and self-satisfied smirk as the veins around her eyes bulged and her eyes flickered into white.

Minato let out an impressed chuckle. Sure, he was holding back and he will continue to do so but he would have expected a support-nin not to have the reflexes to dodge that. They usually let themselves go. He was satisfied knowing that Tokina wasn't that naïve. With a smirk, he finally said.

"Begin."

He dislodged his foot from her grasp when he noticed snakes slithering up his leg in speeds he would have doubted they could do. Kakashi narrowed his eyes before drawing his tantō, running at his jonin sensei intent to beat him while the girl fell back and threw senbons whenever she got an opening, which was rare since Kakashi didn't let her have one. She pursed her lips in thought, stopped throwing needles at the man and fell into deep focus.

"Obito, you should distract him. I have an idea I'd like to try." She smirked before doing a few hand seals and ending it with a clap as butterflies fluttered around her, reality seemingly being rewritten as Tokina disappeared before his very eyes.

Obito blinked before putting on his orange goggled to protect his eyes from the fire and dirt. He trained for this moment! He was going to prove to them that he might not be as good as them but he _will_ surpass both of his teammates! He was going to be _Hokage_ of all things! How can he let these two outshine him?! He won't be the distraction but the threat!

"GET READY FOR UCHIHA OBITO!" The successfully hyped up Uchiha yelled, doing the hand seals that every Uchiha knows and aimed for Minato who was busy fending off Kakashi, not caring if either of them got singed in the process.

"Fire Release: _Great_ Fireball!" He blew in and hot breath came out from his lips. Kakashi disengaged, glaring at the Uchiha, while Minato jumped back, the jutsu missing entirely. He body flickered behind Obito, the two now locked in taijutsu combat. Minato was faintly impressed at the _genin's_ reflexes, able to react instantly to his speed that he made sure was equivalent to a chunin. The kid tried punching and kicking while Minato blocked and deflected them all with one hand as they moved back. A dark red fluttered past them before a loud ensemble resounded throughout the whole Training Ground Three.

Obito smirked and disengaged, leaving an alert Minato in the new, obviously fake environment.

The green and brown training grounds melted away into monochrome, the sky turning into what can only be described as moving cages while he and the rest of the training grounds turned black, somewhat hiding the presence of Obito and Kakashi. He could guess the two boys preparing really painful jutsus just for him to enjoy which helped but he couldn't help but fear that it would hinder his plans on Friday night.

He didn't want to cancel his reservation. Minato planned that surprise date for _months_. He didn't want to deal with burnt hair or singed skin.

So he released.

This seemed to be bad idea, surprisingly,

Something erupted from behind his back, a large red torch with a sun replacing the flames as a loud ensemble began playing with its sad tune. One single black silhouette was there in a kneeling position, focusing. He could tell it was Tokina by the way the chakra seemed to be coming from her. He was about to release _again_ when snake like _things_ seemingly erupted from her body. He knew those were living things by sensing their definite chakra.

Unless it was a really good genjutsu hit otherwise he didn't want to risk getting hit by the strange snakes with different animals for their head. If he focused enough, he didn't need to feel the pain of the genjutsu animals that Tokina was making but if they _were_ real snakes that were coated with genjutsu, then he would be poisoned. He clutched the bell and prepared a kunai to fend off the strange shadow creatures.

But he knew otherwise.

He released the genjutsu.

The shadow creatures howled and streaked through the air, aiming to bite and ravage him. He body flickered and used his Hirashin to escape their grasp, sometimes slicing at them when those creatures got into the three-pronged kunai's way. He ducked in time when a black and hot ball of flames targeted at him. He couldn't tell if it was a Fire Release masked in a genjutsu or just part of the genjutsu.

"Impressive." Minato let out as more fireballs and shadow creatures tried killing him. He let out four three pronged kunai and threw them on all directions to dodge the incoming volley of fire. If he couldn't break the genjutsu—which was the case—then he just needs to damage the source, the girl who was causing it. He threw a Hirashin kunai just above her head, readying a kunai to cause her enough pain to force her to stop casting.

As he was about to slam the butt of the kunai on the girl's head, the genjutsu broke with a resounding "What the—?!"

His eyes widened in mid-air and teleported back to the ground. He turned around in alarm as Kakashi pushed the girl who was creeping up at him away and lunged for the bells. Minato narrowed his eyes at the silver haired boy and punted him away with an unceremonious kick to the stomach.

"Oomph!" Minato heard the boy grunt before the force blew him away.

…maybe he put too much chakra in that kick.

Eh, Kakashi can handle it.

He drew out a normal kunai from his holster and blocked the incoming shuriken barrage from Obito. He ducked from Tokina's Jyūken strikes and kicked Kakashi away yet again.

Sloppy, he should know better not to commit the same mistakes.

Kakashi rebounded and began trying to slice him open with his tantō while Tokina gave Kakashi a scowl that looked unsettling thanks to her general demeanor and budging veins. Obito began readying his shurikens when she couldn't help but rant.

"What is wrong with him?" She huffed, preparing her senbons in one hand and snakes in another continuing her rant with a small voice. "Here I am trying to create a distraction and he pushed me away when I was about get the bells? Well sorry if I didn't invest in long ranged ninjutsu. That isn't exactly my problem, Hatake." The Hyūga girl continued to steam to the emphatic Uchiha. "It's your fragile _ego_." She finished up, running to the fray, throwing her arsenal solely at Minato, the left overs for Kakashi.

Obito chuckled, knowing that she wasn't supposed to say that out-loud. She's been doing that often and he wasn't correcting or complaining. It was funny. He finally threw shuriken at the blonde, not caring if he hit the overzealous Hatake in the process.

The two stopped mid-charge when it was _Kakashi_ that sabotaged their efforts, grabbing the kunai and shuriken they threw mid-air and redirecting it to Minato while slashing the snakes that got in his way.

"Does he want the bells or sensei's life, I really can't tell." She rolled her eyes which made for a strange image considering her enflamed white pupils and her bulging veins as she crossed her arms, snakes already slithering and coiling around her.

"Well, we can't let that bastard show us up! C'mon, Tokina!"

"Obito, wait—"

She watched as the energetic boy rushed into the fray with a single kunai and a lot of heart. She couldn't help but cringe at their sorry excuse of a team fends off the blonde. That's right, they—the _two_ boys—were defending themselves against the tall blonde's onslaught of kunai and jutsu.

They looked like they were playing some deadly variety of Dodge Ball, Minato being the monkey, dodging the balls which where Kakashi and Obito who were aiming for _each other_ and not the target.

Minato was just in the middle of the crossfire.

"This is painful to watch." Tokina muttered out loud _again_ and bit her thumb and slammed it on the ground.

"Summoning: Sudden Snake Glare Spell," she muttered. Large boas slithered from the ink, dug through the ground and erupted like angry worms. They tried wrapping themselves around Minato before, in a blink of yellow, disappeared. Kakashi blocked the kunai to the head courtesy of Obito.

"You're in my way!" Kakashi snarled at the Uchiha who returned the favor with _another_ attempt to behead Kakashi. "Oh really? That's rich coming from you!" Kakashi deflected the kunai with his blade and dodged Obito's slashes and ran off to find Minato, Obito shortly following and _re-engaging_ combat.

Tokina stared blankly at her two _teammates_ and the mess they were making. "I am their teammate, not their _mother_." She groaned to herself. "Calm down, Tokina. You replaced Rin knowing this would happen. You managed to entice the Hokage. You could _maybe_ manipulate Obito and self-righteous Kakashi to cooperate." She stopped for a second and realized what she was doing "And I'm talking to myself again, stupid Kiri."

She deactivated her Byakugan and sighed in frustration, approaching the two boys as they were having a figurative dick measuring contest.

"—can't even land a fireball."

"—whose the one missing all his slashes?!"

"—doesn't have the Sharingan."

"—is that tantō just for show?!"

She intercepted in between them, her training with Jyūken allowing her to catch Kakashi's blade in between her index and middle finger without much of a scratch and successfully stopping the blade and using both of the snakes she summoned to coil around her best-friend's arm, stopping them as Obito stared at the faces of two _very cranky_ boas.

"Both of you are acting like civilians." She stated in a cold irritation, successfully getting their attention and both of them instantly wanting to defend their honor. "Do you want to keep your positions or not?"

"Tell that to the other guy!" Both of them exclaimed in synch which earned another glare-off from them, the two refusing to back down.

She promptly asked the Lord for patience.

"I'm sorry; I thought I was paired up with another chunin and the future Hokage? Not brats who can't work together for a singular objective that _could_ affect their rank." She said as blunt as possible.

Only Obito looked a tad bit humiliated, while Kakashi just scoffed at her and dislodged his blade from her fingers, causing Tokina to bleed a bit from her stunt, not that she noticed.

"Don't get in my way." He warned them, sheathing his tantō and body flickering away.

Obito snorted. "Who does he think he is?"

"Well, at least it proves your miles better than him by a landslide so we could actually come up with a plan." She sighed, smiling at Obito who was right beside him. "Of course I am!" He exclaimed like it was a common fact.

Obito smile faltered when Tokina gave an unsettling smile. She looked at him straight in the eye and said: "So, I have a plan that involves butterflies, fireballs and manipulating Kakashi."

* * *

Minato walked through the forest in the sunset. It was relaxing and deceptive. He began disrupting his chakra every two or so minutes to check if nothing was actually happening and the atmosphere _wasn't_ a genjutsu. Because of the Hyūga girl, butterflies made him a _tad_ bit worried. So he was paranoid? Sue him for not wanting to be trapped in that strange monochrome stage.

It had good music, though, he admitted to himself. He had to stop himself from humming that strange, foreign yet beautiful tune. What kind of instruments produces that sound, anyway?

He sidestepped a kunai, his head still entertaining his previous thought.

Kakashi appeared from his side, his tantō gleaming as he tried to slice him up a new stomach. He sighed inwardly, drawing out a kunai to block the metal.

"The same trick won't work twice." He informed, a tinge of disappointment lacing his voice. Kakashi remained silent, focusing on overwhelming the man which he should have known it was only for naught. Minato widened his eyes and tried to move away from the incoming fireball that was too fast to be a Grand Fireball

The hot fireball singed his left arm ever so slightly. When he sensed another one coming he teleported to the tree he impaled before, giving him a view of what the situation was. That was close, even for him. He watched as the fireball maneuverer around the trees, splitting in surprise. The Uchiha was nowhere to be found.

He had 1.5 in ninjutsu!? Bah! That fireball was half the size of the trees around here! The papers lie! He teleported to the kunai on the field to find the Uchiha that blasted him.

"Now!"

He all but froze at the sudden flux of genjutsu induced terror while a black seal formed under him. Minato tried jumping away but a boa dug its teeth on his ankle, making him falter. As he was falling, another boa quickly caught him mid-air, using the first boa as a pole to tie him to. He tried teleporting away before he saw Obito rip the seals from the kunai, tearing the seal.

"That was my Saturday morning!" He screeched, undignified. The Uchiha snickered as he haughtily marched to him, Kakashi all the while wearing a shocked expression. He was about to teleport to the other one and found that he couldn't. He stretched his neck to see Tokina emerging from the woods and ripping the last of his Hirashin seals to pieces like it was an electricity bill she didn't want to see. She raised her arms, summoning a large array of butterflies from her sleeves, seemingly turning into the very creatures herself. Minato watched in fascination as the rainbow engulfed them. When one of them landed on his head, it felt like they weight twelve tons. Slowly but surely, the others landed on him. It felt like he was being crushed by a boulder. The snakes uncoiled, letting his body fall to the ground in a _thud_.

At the back of his mind, he couldn't help but praise the girl's genjutsu skills when he couldn't break away from conventional means and his body weighed too much to even _think_ of moving his arms to get a kunai and harm himself.

...Right now, he was just worried that the fall would cost him his Friday date.

Obito gave Tokina a self-satisfied smirk before shoving his hand inside the cluster of butterflies. "'Scuse me, Akinosuke." He heard him mutter as he got the bells in triumph. The butterflies dispersed from Minato, the weight being lost insect after insect, and fluttering next to Obito, forming the self-satisfied girl.

"Nice plan, 'Kina-chan." He chirped, jingling the bells as they shared a high-five. "Sensei totally fell for it!"

She smirked—a smug smirk that the Hyūgas do when they prove that they have exceeded expectations as if it was foretold in some prophecy that was embedded by stone and chisel. "He did, didn't he?" She grinned at the man, giving him a hand to lift him up even if he did weigh twice as her.

Minato smiled at the group taking the hand, the girl trying her best _not_ to be overwhelmed by the heaviness of the teen and manage to lift him up. Minato, then watched _his_ team, Tokina snickering as the silver-haired kid rolled his eyes at their antics once more while trying to mask the look of well-deserved betrayal. Obito continued the fanfare, ignoring the pointed looks Kakashi gave them when he mentioned the masked kid's name followed up with a sarcastic _thank you_ .

It might have taken them all day but they passed nonetheless.

Teamwork might be rough but it was just the matter of them proving themselves to Kakashi.

"It probably won't take long." The blonde man thought hopefully. He gazed at the boy glaring at the duo, the Uchiha jingling the bells and waving his arms animatedly.

"HA! Take that, Bakashi!" Obito jingled one of the bells in front of the Hatake boy, who just looked _really_ pissed off. "Now you'll go back to the _academy_! BAH HA! How embarrassing!" Obito covered his mouth like a noblewoman.

Minato scratched the back of his head. "Yeah, about that…"

"MINATO!" A girlish scream resounded through the field with ease that was _scary_. Kakashi and Obito flinched at the sound. Obito didn't know what compelled him to follow _Kakashi_ of all people into hiding behind his sensei. This was something _worse_ than killing intent. Obito _knew_ it was worse than it but he didn't know how to explain this sudden _fear_ of getting crushed. Tokina looked around, finding her friend _not_ beside her "Wha—?"

Suddenly, with a speed that could be compared to the Yellow Flash himself, Tokina was being crushed with the force of the whole Hokage tower as Minato's girlfriend encased her with her deceptive slim and slender arms.

"Uuuugh—" was the poor girl's reaction.

"You must be one of Minato's new, cute little students!" She began flailing her like a rag doll. This is not good for her psyche. Or maybe it was. The Uzumakis were known for…talent in counselling and their general happy disposition. Maybe it'll rub off her? He knew that she was…troubled to say the least, considering her mission report. There was a _large_ gap in between her mission to Kiri and now since _this is_ counted as a mission despite it being a gag one. Further research told him that there was _also_ a large gap between her exit to Konoha and her coming back. It didn't take a Nara to figure out what happened.

Oh, who is he kidding?

It didn't work on Kakashi, and if it didn't work on him, it wouldn't work on Tokina. He cringed as he saw her visibly turned green. "Please stop..." She begged weakly, covering my mouth.

She didn't hear her, much to the girl's distress. Kakashi looked relieved it wasn't him (as usual) while Obito watched in fear for her friend.

"You are so cute!" they heard the red-head compliment the girl as they were _still_ spinning.

"Kushina-chan, she looks discolored." Minato said, slightly panicked. Well, not slightly. He _was_ panicking. Kushina is the type of person who _doesn't_ know how to hold back. She always gives her one-hundred-and-one percent on everything she does and that's why he loves her so he always gives _her_ his one-hundred-and-two percent as well. And this is one of the times he wanted her _not_ to.

"How mean, Minato-kun! Don't judge a girl by their appearance; you should know that by now! She looks beautiful! Right, Kakashi-kun?" The hyper Uzumaki scolded the exasperated and _slightly_ panicking blonde.

"She's not _normally_ green, Kushina-san." Kakashi casually informed his sensei's girlfriend. Obito immediately looked at Kakashi who seemed to think about of something, his dark eyes gleaming with something akin to mischief. "But she _might_ be turning green because of her contracts with snakes."

Obito repressed a gasp. That was _evil_.

…She looks like she's about to puke, though.

"M-maybe you should put her down, Kushina-san!" Obito waved his hands.

She looked at her in curiosity, "Woah, sorry! I was just so enthralled to finally meet Minato's students!" She cheered and gently put the dazed girl down.

Minato crouched down to her and petted the poor girl's soft hair.

"I am so sorry." He whispered, with a light tone. Tokina blinked in affirmation before closing her eyed and sighing, looking like a tired old man.

"I feel like I'm about to puke everything I ate since I was a baby." Tokina muttered to herself. Minato's eyes widened in _genuine_ panic for the girl. She shook herself as if it would shake away the nausea.

She covered her mouth while her cheeks inflated and her eyes popped open. Her eyes watered before a loud, disgusting gulp was heard.

"I'm fine. I'm fine." She reassured herself and closed her eyes again.

Minato heard a distinct voice being thrown around. "K-Kushina! Put Obito-kun down!"

Sage Training did not prepare him for this.

"No fair! I want students too but no, it's always _"Your better in the front lines, Uzumaki-san! Please understand, Uzumaki-san!"_ Hmph!" Tokina heard Obito groan and collapse beside the girl and instantly took his hand and squeezed. He squelched and closed his eyes, hiding from the pain. Kushina crossed her arms, totally unaware of the suffering of the two children. "Can't wait 'till this stupid war is over!"

"Tokina-chan? Are you there?" He said dazedly next to the girl beside him. She let out a groan and a gurgle. Minato watched all this unfold as she attacked Kakashi next. The silver-haired kid managing to look oddly dignified being tossed around like that.

It was obvious that he was used to this kind of treatment, which was added to the list of "Why I hate Kakashi" list in Obito's head.

Minato held his hands up to the two children. Obito took it without hesitation while Tokina sighed before taking his. They both looked fed up. They both stood up steadying each other. The children were about to run, how Obito's body tensed while Tokina's pale eyes glinted before warm arms strangled them again, the odd eyed girl was smack dab middle at the Team Minato sandwich. "Such cute kids!" She crooned.

"I'm sorry." Minato apologized to them genuinely. "She's just excitable, I swear."

He heard Obito gag then saw the black haired kid cover his mouth. "I'm fine."

"It's too hot." Tokina complained

"Stop pushing me, Bakashi!" He pushed the girl to return the push Kakashi, who looked absolutely done with the antics.

"You're the one that's shoving." He returned the favor, not caring who he was pushing just to get back at the boy. Kushina looked amused at the bundle of trouble in her arms.

"Guys, please, stop, it's so hot." Tokina all but begged.

"Yeah?! Am I shoving now?!" Obito loudly screeched.

"You are, and now you're screaming." Kakashi returned, groaning.

Her eye twitched.

Minato watched as the girl tried her best to compose herself.

Which ultimately failed after the two tried chocking each other in a choke hold.

She seemed to have disappeared in a kaleidoscope of large butterflies, much to the surprise of her audience. She rematerialized a few feet away from them.

It was probably a genjutsu meant to shock and surprise.

"I'm sorry." She apologized, not meaning it. "They were being strangled." The excess butterflies fluttered away as she dusted off the dirt from her clothes, the boys doing the same. Kushina let out a sound of admiration.

"Woah, your Orochimaru's apprentice, aren't you? They did say she had butterfly summons. That's you, right?" She smiled to the girl that was formerly bundled in her arms.

"Yes, Kushina-san. The Hokage made him a jonin sensei to lead Mitarashi Anko, though." Tokina shrugged "I don't know why, though." She answered.

"Enough taking for now, I'm hungry!" Kushina declared. _Yes. Food._ Obito thought, already excited at the free food. "C'mon, children! Let Kushina-chan feed you the best ramen in the world!"

"Yeah!" Obito cheered. "Free food!" He looked at the girl who freed him from his shackles. Kakashi sorted and Tokina took her place next to the excited Uchiha. "I still like dango better, though." He whispered next to the girl.

"Taoyaki and beef is better." She retorted.

The red haired woman glared pointedly at the two non-believers of the great religion known as Ramenism.

"Welp, that Ramen isn't waiting forever!" He announce cheerily and purposely loud to tick off Bakashi and to save his skin, making the younger girl snicker. Kushina nodded a "got that right" nod and the two went off to the new Ramen stand that recently opened.

Which had the most heavenly ramen in existence,

Kushina smiled to herself.

Minato wanted this so much. She couldn't just _not_ be happy for her boyfriend-and-maybe-future-fiancé-then-maybe-husband. They might not be blood relatives but she already made a promise that she would take her child to the ramen stand she found.

She just didn't know if she'll live enough for that.

* * *

AN.

FUNFACT: I had to edit this _two times,_ the first one in my computer which worked for about two hours before _dying seconds after I could upload_ and on my dad's computer which he LET ME. Anyway, hoped you enjoyed this chapter and Enjoy Life! :)

PS: TY FOR THE REVIEWS! I know that there is a review that spotted a continuity mistake and I'll edit that out...this week. Graduating Class. Last Quarter. Pretty Hectic. So...yeah, have fun.


	28. Chapter 28: Pride and Pride and Pride 2

AN

AHA! This still counts as double posting since it wasn't uploaded on a Saturday!

WARNINGS:...couldn't think of anything so maybe some _Language_ but you guys are used to that. Maybe language, grammar and bad writing? I'm trying to adjust to the whole POV switch thingies so _please_ bare with me. Any tips on writing easily determinable character speech despite the POV thing is _much_ appreciated since this POV is _much_ more fun to do in the time being. Anyway, enjoy!

* * *

Tokina's life was often just a hazy blur to her. One minute, she was fending off bullies from the playground, the other she was being tortured for information in Kiri. Now? She can finally take it slow by doing menial labor. Sometimes details were blurry, and that she found herself in a room where she didn't know what she was doing.

And cringing whenever she remembered "You guys are acting like civilians" incident since it was so _try hard_ of her but she's trying to forget.

Like most of her memories but she tried not thinking about that.

Oh, and sometimes a literal blur when Obito and Kakashi decide to fight and all that. They were getting faster and faster, which is good in her eyes. Only marks of improvement.

She sometimes stopped them and sometimes she didn't bother. She wasn't their mother, she was their teammate and she will act like one.

It's not like diplomacy ever worked before, anyway.

This is...training. Besides, it was kind of fun watching the two boys duke it out. Kakashi always won those fights, sadly. It was painfully obvious that Obito was out classed in every way. It wasn't his fault. The Uchiha's "Branch" family is more lenient than the Hyūga which required training when we could walk and forcing the Byakugan to activate and manifest when we could hold a kunai. Kakashi was just plain determined from the looks of it. She didn't know his training regimen exactly but she was sure it was pretty intense if he managed to graduate early without a clan training.

Kakashi has to bring his formerly prestigious clan honor somehow.

She leaned to the right, casually dodging a fireball as she continued reading a book about the human anatomy for…reference.

"Where's the famed Uchiha precision?" Kakashi challenged with a sneer and crossed arms, jumping to the left when a haphazardly thrown kunai went his way.

"Sh-shut up!" Obito stomped, preparing to cast _another_ fireball that would inevitably miss.

And this is the reason why Obito should be late most of the time. When he was, they would fight but sensei was here to save the day. When he was early, they would duel to the death like it's the last time they'll see each other.

It didn't help that Minato _still_ expected her to try and calm the unstoppable force and the immovable object on her own. She often had to resort to a genjutsu where _both_ parties won so that they would shut up about it. She's been doing this for weeks and they still haven't noticed. Minato often came to a tired boys and an exasperated girl most of the time but he wasn't complaining. They didn't need to stretch when he arrived.

"What the _shit_! That was a tree!"

That being said, the girl couldn't help but flinch when she heard a shriek and a subsequent crash. She raised her head from her book and expected the damage.

The image of Obito standing in front of _really big_ trees, a little bit scared but mostly just irritated filled her vision. Kakashi shrugged nonchalantly and replied with a curt "I've been exercising."

This was usually where she would place them in a genjutsu.

"I'll show you _exercising_!" Obito yelled, charging up a very _anime-like_ punch.

Tokina closed her book and repressed a groan, trying her best _not to mutter._ She was working on keeping her crazy under wraps and it was really hard without a licensed therapist but she manages somehow.

She summoned a single butterfly to help her with this one. The Hyūga girl was trying her best to _not rely_ on her butterfly summons to help her concentrate since she knew that there will be a time where Akinosuke would somehow double cross her.

Safe to say, she had major trust issues.

Before the punch would land, the boys instantly froze as Tokina clapped and imagined a scenario where _everybody_ wins.

It lasted for three minutes until she felt someone pat her head with a little bit of weight. She didn't have her Byakugan activated but she could make a few educational guesses on who it was. It still surprised her, though. She tried to grasp the genjutsu but it ultimately failed. The genjutsu ended at the climax of the fight, where both of them were giving their all.

"No wonder they usually seem happy and content when I arrive." The blonde teen accusingly poked her cheek with a smirk. Minato saw how her face blushed with something akin to shame. It was kind of cute, Minato thought, that someone as blasé as Tokina would let herself lose her cool.

The teacher thought he was making leaps of progress on her psyche.

Maybe the ramen actually _did_ help, Minato thought.

"And here I was going to ask you to help the boys in team work." Minato shook his head, ignoring the strange glint in her passive eyes. "Maybe making yourself as a target and forcing them into a genjutsu or something? But I think I should reserve that lesson for another day, huh?"

The blonde ruffled the girl's hair (ruining her bun) as she dipped her head with a low "Oh…"

Minato watched, continuing to poke and probe Tokina's _really_ soft hair (he was going to ask her what shampoo she uses for a future gift to Kushina later) while watching the boys blink at each other and regain their bearings.

Minato's amused smile went even wider as he saw his calm student look absolutely _sheepish_. She was quiet, polite and professional _most of the times_ so seeing her like this was absolutely adorable.

It was like seeing Kakashi be grateful.

And that only happens once in a blue moon.

Worried that this might be a rare occasion as well, he tried to embed the memory of the cool girl blushing. If only he had a camera but those were _really_ expensive. That reminded him to arrange an appointment at the village photographer for a team picture.

She stood up, Minato's hand _still_ on her head. "I can explain." She waved fervently.

Kakashi crossed his arms while sneering at the audacious girl while Obito raised an unbelieving and absolutely _betrayed_ eyebrow. Minato, the sadist, seemed to be reviling on Tokina's awkwardness like any other dad.

"Well, explain!" Obito, who looked hurt, huffed. Well, who wouldn't be hurt at the prospect of your best friend making an intricate _lie_ to make you feel better, as if they thought you couldn't fight your own battles? It was _dishonorable_.

"Ah, you see," Tokina bit her nail, looking shifty eyed and embarrassed. Minato widened his eyes when he caught her biting her thumb while she was _seemingly_ biting her nails. Obito waited for his much deserved explanation while Kakashi looked intrigued at his sensei's reaction. He followed his sensei's eyes to Tokina…biting her nails to bleed!

Kakashi threw a kunai from his pouch

Too late,

The girl disappeared in a flurry of butterflies before Kakashi's kunai landed.

The three boys stood there, baffled at the normally laid-back girl's almost whimsical approach to escape an awkward situation.

Minato decided to make the most of it since he _was_ supposed to address the elephant in the room, Kakashi and Obito absolutely _loathing_ each other.

"Okay, so this will be a great chance in training you guys in the art of tracking!" Minato clapped his hands, a habit he has developed when he wanted to gain the attention of his students. He inwardly thanked Tokina's sacrifice when he was the two boys nodding dutifully _together_ to defeat the same enemy. "I'll give you the one-o'-ones in tracking while we find Tokina. Let's move out."

"Yes, sensei!" They said in unison. _Unison!_

* * *

Minato couldn't be any more proud of them.

Obito was in the verge of crying.

He was scared, separated and _anxious._ The Uchiha boy didn't think his friend could be _this_ cruel. The ninja world didn't leave prisoners unless ordered to. They were cunning, ruthless and you needed to be as cunning and even more ruthless to survive. He _knew_ that Tokina was really good in genjutsu, and apparently, he's been in the receiving end of the stick for a week so that has to say something about her genjutsu skills.

He knew what it looked like when someone was trapped in a genjutsu. It just looked like they were playing charades or just standing there, looking dumb as Tokina ran around and did some cool shit that involved medical-ninjutsu, Jyūken and a lot of snakes.

He didn't know what it was _like_ to experience the pure, psychological torture aspect of genjutsu.

" _Obito! I told you to wash the dishes!"_ Rin's normally melodious voice was substituted by her demonic counterpart…

…Rinnagger, her motherly, annoying and absolutely _terrifying_ alter-ego whenever she sees a dirty spot or when he's late.

He ran through the forest, closing his eyes and covering his ears to stop the voices in his head while he unknowingly shouted "I am Rin! I am!".

When he opened his eyes again, he found himself in Tokina's house, his hands wet with soapy water, his left holding a sponge and the right holding a plate that looked clean to him.

It felt so… _real_.

" _Obito! Stop daydreaming and clean those plates!"_ Rinnager shouted directly into his ear, her eyes that reminded him of sweet milk chocolate now brought him nothing but fear.

"Y-Yes, Rin!" He rushed out, focusing on cleaning the already clean plate. When he deemed in worthy, he set it aside and wiped a sweat off his forehead. He turned to his left to find a _tower_ of dirty dishes. He heard Rin's incessant tapping, threatening to scold him once more.

He carefully tried getting a dish from the middle. Obito yelped as his actions caused the tower of precious porcelain to begin leaning and tilting, as if it was challenging Obit to stop it from falling. He tried holding the dirty dishes steady but when the top collapsed, everything followed. He closed his eyes and cringed at every resounding crack of the plates.

NaggyRin looked absolutely _livid_.

" _You know what the dishes falling reminds me of? You're_ _ **GrAdeS**_ _!"_

He didn't know what compelled him. He just wanted to get out of this…this… _hell_ he was in. Obito got a kunai from his kunai holster and made a shallow cut on his finger, wincing at the sharp pain that me put himself through. He didn't know how to release so this was the next best thing.

The genjutsu brok… _untangled_ in front of him.

With a bleeding finger and a resigned look, he wanted nothing more than to _hurt Tokina really bad_.

" _Minato-kun, where the hell are you?!"_

Minato shook his head and released it in a cold sweat.

Minato thanked the girl for the easy lesson, unifying the two to find a common goal and throwing in a "Do's and Don'ts" in breaking a genjutsu. The genjutsu itself was easy to break once you know you were actually _in_ one. What was hard is trying to remember what you were doing before the genjutsu.

And the genjutsu was _irritating_ at best.

He knew Tokina could whip out scarier genjutsu. Hiding behind that polite yet blasé demeanor she put up was an intelligent, imaginative and a very manipulative girl that didn't have enough time to let some of the same whimsy she recently demonstrated out because of her…experiences. He still hasn't managed to find her mission report _legally,_ of course, and he couldn't blame her for being soft-spoken with what _he_ thinks she's gone through but every child should have a right to childhood.

His childhood just involved saving the girl of his dreams and killing whoever stood in her way.

…and eating ice-cream from time to time but everyone does that.

But when her idea of low-grade "torture" was Kushina being unbearable and louder than she already was?

That is where he drew the line.

His calculating eyes shot to the left, Minato thinking he heard rustling in the foliage. He didn't risk it. The blonde threw a three pronged kunai at the direction of the sound without much hesitation. There was a squelch, shriek and a thud in a quick succession.

He readied another kunai, a normal one, and walked warily to it.

He sighed in relief when it was just a normal squirrel. He clasped his hands and muttered a soft " _I am sorry for your unneeded sacrifice._ " and got back to work, trying to locate the girl since it was more than just a training session. He turned his back on the bushy-tailed rodent and walked away, thinking not much of it.

Unknown to him, the said rodent started shaking unnaturally; its belly bulging in shapes it shouldn't be able to when it's dead. He heard the strange disturbance of nature and whipped around, kunai in hand as he stared at the squirrel he dismissed a little bit too early. For a second, the shaking stopped and he thought that the strange disturbance was finished. His eyes widened as butterflies fluttered out of the gore, the squirrel being a product of a good genjutsu since it avoided his sensing.

" _Minato…_ " Kushina's form and soft voice formed from the butterflies, the effect of the forest ambience and beautiful (but knowingly deadly) butterflies surrounding her making an absolutely breath taking and stunning effect that he wanted captured in a photo.

…It was probably part of the genjutsu too.

Until she opened her mouth,

" _WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?! GO MAKE RAMEN YOU LAZY PR-"_

Without thinking much thought, he threw the kunai he was holding at Kushina's head, making the insects disperse, giving him the time to release. Now, in that afternoon, there was a strange image of a feared yet respected jonin sensei running away from a kaleidoscope of butterflies with a dead serious face in his features.

It would have been humorous to anybody _but_ him.

He realized this as he was forced to tie a small explosive tag to one of his kunai.

"I never thought I would be chased by a swarm of butterflies." Minato sighed, tying a tight knot to the kunai to make sure the explosion tag doesn't fall off. God knows how many times _that_ happened. The blonde reminisced of what happened in his life that would result in this situation before he threw the explosive kunai to the giant swarm of butterflies. He stood straight, not letting the explosion influence his solid stance, quickly drawing another kunai.

He sensed someone.

Even if it was for a brief moment,

Tokina must've lost focus.

He smiled, "Tokina-chan, I know you're out there." The _slightly sadistic_ teacher called out to his student who was hiding behind a tree, in the branches, using the foliage as a camouflage and a genjutsu as an extra measure. Minato extended his senses towards the whole forest, trying to pinpoint the girl but only finding erratic chakra signatures, most likely Kakashi and Obito trapped in their own personal nuisance.

The genjutsu broke because of a loud sound…

Minato smiled, gathering a sudden burst of chakra, converting it in speeds the girl would envy. A loud cackle of lightning came from Minato's fist, startling the local fauna and, successfully, Tokina. The genjutsu broke for a nanosecond but he already was sure where she was.

He threw two kunai at the tree behind him, one going left and the other going right. He teleported the kunai to the right, threw the right kunai to intercept the left kunai and teleported there. When he arrived, he deftly caught the left one mid-air and threw it again to the sky while throwing the right kunai to the tree.

Tokina ditched the genjutsu and favored spitting snakes from her sleeves. Minato smirked and couldn't resist muttering a " _Got'cha_ ," He threw the kunai in his hand to the right teleported, effectively dodging the snakes that he didn't stand a chance fighting in mid-air. As predicted, Tokina tried putting him in a genjutsu but it was too late as he teleported to the kunai he threw to the sky earlier.

So he memorized the range of her genjutsu? He was her teacher after all.

He got two kunai from his seemingly infinite kunai pouch and slashed and cut through the snakes that were streaking through the sky. Once he reached the ground, he tried to fly-kick Tokina in the head but the girl dodged and shifted stances, grunting as she tried to seal his elbow, shoulder and heart in a quick succession. He blocked the attacks with his kunai, which didn't surprise him. The Hyūga were known for their _really_ durable hands.

"Aren't you going a little bit overboard with this?" Minato couldn't help but chastise while they were trying to overpower each other, metal versus flesh. She smirked, an unsettling image for him with her bulging eyes and small frame but he was getting used to this.

"I'm just doing what you wanted me to do." Tokina challenged, pushing herself, causing her bandages to turn red from blood.

The Hyūga's upper body strength should never be underestimated, like most taijutsu experts.

But that was usually their weakness.

He ducked from one of her strong jabs and immediately gave her a sweep kick. Tokina gasped in surprise, yet quickly gathered herself while mid-fall. She tried summoning a snake to grapple herself to a nearby tree and avoid her inevitable capture but her sensei read her like a book. Minato quickly cut her lifeline and, in all that in under a second, she was face flat on the grass.

Minato smirked as he sensed the boys coming to their senses. With one hand, he threw one of his pre-tied, low-grade explosive kunai to the air, turning it to a makeshift flare and the other restraining Tokina, his weight probably being more than enough for the girl.

"Well, well, well, our little genjutsu mistress is going to be surrounded soon." He let an _inkling_ of his sadism show. Tokina began struggling, which was an painful attempt to try and escape his grasp. "Let go, let go, let go!" The girl wailed in a pitiful manner.

He wasn't going to fall for this again.

Obito was the first to arrive to the location of the signal. There he saw Minato on top of Tokina while she was being restrained, her front on the grass as she struggled to get out of his grasp.

She looked so cold…

"I'm not being captured again!" Tokina (was that even Tokina?) declared, opening her mouth wide. Minato tried _not_ letting go but that was getting harder and harder everyday by what they were witnessing.

Obito didn't repress the scream.

* * *

Kushina ran to the lone, self-satisfied girl at the training grounds clearing. She just recently finished a long mission and she was itching for ramen with Minato and his team. If she was being completely honest, Kushina didn't really think of them as "team Minato" but as "Minato's children".

Well if it was Minato's children, then as girlfriend rights, it was her children too.

Kakashi, the oldest brother who had no sense of humor but is oddly cute, trying to look older and mature than he is.

Obito, the middle child and eager to please yet his reckless behavior makes them, the eldest brother and his own parents, get into arguments with him a lot

Tokina, the youngest child who was quiet and introverted yet tried her best to keep her brothers in line.

It was a happy, dysfunctional family with a workaholic dad and a mom addicted to preservatives but it was Minato's dysfunctional family, and by extension, it's her's.

Tokina smiled and waved at the tomato-red haired woman. Kushina returned the greetings with a smile and approached her, ruffling her hair in the process.

Well, tried anyway. Her bun was so tight that it was practically un-ruffable. But Minato tried and succeeded most times.

"Hello, my child. Where's your father and brothers?" Kushina snickered at Tokina's habit to tilt her head when she was confused. The baby fat wasn't helping with her adorableness. Her pale eyes that still slightly creeped the Jinchūriki out gleamed in recognition at the impromptu nicknames she blurted out.

"Ah, they're...busy." Tokina said simply as she gave Kushina a small yet filling sheepish smile that she was known for.

…Not a good sign.

Sometimes the youngest was the most troublemaking anyway. Kushina couldn't help but seriously pity the girl. The Uzumaki had the opportunity to see classified records that she purposely hid from Minato when she got a hold of them.

Don't get her wrong, she loves Minato for his unbiased eyes, the same eyes that saw her when she was being bullied by the same village she was defending.

Yet she knew how…carried away Minato could be when he loves something.

Over-protective doesn't cover it.

And right now, maybe she was wrong but, Tokina probably only wanted to be treated like the rest. She probably didn't want special treatment if she's in this group since the Hokage actually _recommends_ her getting professional help.

Which she probably needs but…

She knows what goes under there.

They coddle ninjas too much, even if they are Yamanakas.

Tortured for four months in Kiri? That isn't something to joke about. It must have been hard. She couldn't help but think what the girl was like before…everything. Was she "slightly whimsical" as Minato insisted she was? Was she more talkative and outgoing? Did she always have a deadpan humor or was it more sarcastic or corny?

Kushina was determined to find out. She gave Tokina a mock-stern look. The woman put her hands to her hips and eyed her.

"Tokina," her voice that carried authority filled the empty fields.

She shifted uncomfortably.

"T-They ganged up on me in practice!" She confessed, a little bit humiliated by her reaction of blurting it out.

Kushina raised an eyebrow.

Her eyes widened when she heard a high pitched yet boyish shriek that belonged to only a particular Uchiha.

"IT'S IN MY PANTS! IT'S IN MY PANTS!"

Tokina giggled darkly, stopping abruptly when Kushina gave her the mama bear look.

…Before smirking and smacking the girl's back a little bit harshly, making the young girl grunt out due to the force.

"My little baby is all grown up!" She cheered while flinging the girl around. "Showing the boys that we girls aren't to be messed around with! C'mon, let me get you ramen."

And so, with a content smile from Kushina and a confused yet grinning Tokina, they left the three boys to fend for themselves.

Kushina will give the documents back when she knows Minato is ready to handle it. Maybe she'll buy one of those… _manga_ books he likes so much as an apology.

She shrugged, letting herself embrace the peace she wants to protect with all her life.

* * *

AN.

Hehe, that's 2/2 of this week and here starts 1/2 of the next Saturday A.K.A tomorrow in my country.

Anyway, enjoy this like how I enjoyed your reviews (The fuinjutsu gun one was a really good concept) and most importantly Enjoy Life :)


	29. Chapter 29: Pride Pride and Pride 3

AN.

Oh shit.

I'm actually **not dead though?!**

a revelation

(more detailed AN below so yes)

WARNINGS:REALLY REALLY REALLY SHORT CHAPTER THAT Y'ALL WAITED FOR SO LONG BUT ITS SO SHORT AND PROBABLY REALLY FILLERY

* * *

 _Jab, jab, thrust._

"No, Kuma-chan. Keep your stance wide and your body lower." Tokina instructed the young boy lightly.

The smaller sibling complied with an eager smile. His stance looked a bit sloppy but it was _kind of_ acceptable for his age. The now three-year old boy began jabbing and thrusting at the tree with straws tied to it, grunting at each strike, a habit that would prove deadly if he was in a stealth mission

Tokina decided that she needed to worm into Tokuma's heart like the parasite she was, and to make up for lost time, so she volunteered to teach him the basics of Jyūken when her mom couldn't. That is why they were in the middle of the backyard trying to break really durable logs just by slapping them; the first step as to literally numb the pain of the palms and to actually strengthen the blows.

It didn't make sense to him. Why do you need strong hands when you could jab their heart? If the books Tokina-onee-chan gave him, it stated that a simple touch would suffice.

It _is_ called Gentle Fist for a reason, the young boy thought.

But he learned that if he continued doing things _a little bit wrong_ , it would let him spend time more with his sister.

And that was always good.

"Like this, onee-chan?" His pale eyes blinked up at her, wiping sweat off his forehead.

"Yeah, but don't put too much for in your blow since that will only tire you down faster." She gave him a tip, demonstrating how much effort and weight he should put in each strike. "It's not the force that makes Jyūken feared, but the effect. Sealed chakra hurts."

Which was _his_ point but he just wanted some time with him and his 'sis.

"Oooooh!" He grinned at her before correcting his stance and continued practicing with his Jyūken with grunts that she was _bound_ to correct.

"Don't coddle him" is what his mother would say to her but it wasn't so much _coddling_ but just spending time with family, and that is always good! He didn't know what the word _coddling_ means but he'll remedy—he wondered if he used that word right since Rin and his mom use it frequently—the situation after training.

Maybe she would give him the butterflies when he's older. He hoped so! They were so pretty and cool but he needs to find his own way of using the Byakugan, though. From the stories my mom told him, dad used his for pinpoint accuracy and distance with the clearest eyes in all of Hyūga as well as the built in heat seeking (chakra color) in them so he could get a clearer view better. Mom focused hers on zooming on things into a microscopic (really really small!) level for things like surgery. Tokina-onee-chan uses hers for distance and genjutsu enhancement and seeing things in dark places.

Tokina told him that he would surpass _all_ of the Hyūga.

He hoped so.

Fire Release: Great Fireball!

A pathetic candle light came out from the Uchiha's mouth.

"You have got to be kidding me." Obito groaned at this. He did it the first time in practice! What was he doing wrong? Convert your chakra to fire, which was relatively easy. Next, breathe in, shape the air and add the fore chakra then blow! It was a simple jutsu which marked him as a _man_ in the Uchiha Clan! Obito sighed and leaned near the tree in the Uchiha Compound's training ground.

"Chakra control helps." A familiar feminine voice said behind his back. He felt a blush come on as he turned around a little bit too quickly for his liking while the said girl casually handed him lunch, the cute and adorable brunette girl smile at him in a greeting. "Rin-chan! I thought you were—"

"—At the hospital?" She finished for him with one of her single raised eyebrow that sent flutters in his stomach. "Akane-san gave me a day off after her successful surgery today and the medic-corps didn't need me today so I thought I would pass you by since Tokina is busy with her...research?" She wondered, "I actually don't know what she does but she can do it on her own, as she told me." Rin shrugged. "So, what are _you_ doing?"

"Ah, j-just training." He took the blue bento box as they slumped under the tree of the training grounds. They both popped open their bento boxes at the same time not on purpose or anything, of course. He wasn't creepy like that, hehehe...

Oh, God, he had it bad.

"Are you feeling okay?" She questioned, leaning a bit too close for comfort, raising his already raised goggles to inspect his temperature. "You're flushed but it isn't a cold or a fever." She pursued her lips in thought.

"I-uh-well-" he stammered, absolutely embarrassingly, rubbing the back of his neck. "Side effects of the fire chakra!" He came up with. "You know, the fire makes me feel all hot inside, so...hehe...yeah."

She tilted her head to the side before shrugging, continuing her own bento box. "Well, if you say so. I trust you." She smiled before digging into her own lunch. Obito flushed a deeper shade of red.

Of course, he can't exactly keep relying on his two friends. He was the one that was going to be Hokage. He was the one who is going to protect, not be protected. He was the one that needed to be strong for them.

"So, about that chakra control..." He muttered sheepishly. The girl looked up from her musings and smiled at the boy.

He wants to protect that smile.

He needs to protect that smile.

He'll do anything for that smile.

Anything,

Even if it means starting a world war, it would be worth it to see his two best friends by his side.

He's going to protect the world so that whole world war bit would never come.

"It all starts with your manipulation..."

* * *

Kakashi sat down in his apartment and focused once more, staring at the scroll he had acquired through legal means. Minato gave it to him after today's practice when everyone went away to do who knows what. Normally, he would go practice his kenjutsu and ninjutsu but with the scroll of the Shadow Clone Jutsu, a highly versatile technique, he went straight into it.

The possibilities would be endless! Lightning Clones to paralyze the target by touch! Fooling that damn Byakugan of hers' and learning things two times faster!

Minato gave him a demonstration and he was determined to master this technique to give him a wider jutsu arsenal.

He split his chakra into two evenly.

Poof,

He blinked at another clone of him.

"Yo,"

"...Yo,"

He felt faint, though. It was probably due to the fact that he did not have the chakra for the technique.

...He'll increase his chakra reserves then.

To be the perfect ninja will be a long journey that he will achieve, no one will get in the way of his goal.

* * *

The Hyūga siblings walked to the market place when the busier of the two finally got enough time away from training, scheming and teaching her younger brother how to kill. As they walked through the crowd, she couldn't help but stare at a "DIY" fūinjutsu pack that was mostly aimed for civilians and genins. Tokina frowned, reminding herself of her chicken handwriting despite her Hyūga-level hand coordination. She didn't know why her handwriting was atrocious but if she was bad at something, at least it wasn't fighting.

Tokuma tugged at his dazed sister, ushering her to move forward.

"So Kuma-kun, what do you want to buy? I have some change to spare." Tokina smiled at the pleased cinnamon-roll that is her younger brother, probably jumping because of the thought of food.

"Taoyaki!"

"Red bean, chocolate or strawberry?"

"Chocolate!"

Tokina smiled at his choice, only because she doesn't eat any dessert (or snack) that isn't chocolate.

They walked to their favorite taoyaki stand. The chef greeted them and gave the pair their "usuals" with a pleasant smile, the chef prompting how their mother was, Tokina answering with a polite "fine", prompting the two to have idle chit-chat while they finished their sweet snack. They sat down on the swing set under a tree; gently rocking back and forth, letting the gentle spring breeze cool them down as they let the snack sit in their stomach.

Tokina then blinked down at Tokuma who was staring intently at two certain green-clad men playing (if lifting the whole see-saw while they do sit-ups with weights counted at playing) with smiles on their faces. She then eyed her younger brother with curiosity, thinking that her mother knew better to make sure Tokuma doesn't talk to strange figures with even stranger fashion senses.

"Hey, Onee-chan?" Tokuma whispered, as if to himself, still gazing at the two green figures who she believes were Maito Gai and Dai.

She took a deep breath, anticipating the question that her and her mom were skilfully dodging for so long.

"What is it Kuma-kun?" She asked with a small smile, gently rocking herself back and fro from the swing.

"Why don't I have dad?" He asked, straight to the point, his gaze continuing at the two green beasts who were subconsciously doing a rainbow-like genjutsu in which she promptly cancelled with a bit of irritation. Tokina didn't need the two to rub their "father-son bond" in their face right now.

She held the wooden plank of the swing a little bit harder,

"You do, Kuma-kun." Tokina strategically kept the nickname despite of the seriousness of the child's tone and face. It was _scary_ how a small child could look so intimidating. Did I look like that? If I did, I really need to apologize to mom. "He's just not...with us."

"What do you mean?" He turned his gaze to his sister, looking her straight in the eye.

She really wanted to tell him. She really did, but her mother's voice rang through her in a pleasant reminder.

" _The child deserves better, Tokina-chan. He does not need to know the grief of not having a father, much less having to accept it in such a young age."_

Tokina didn't like this one-bit but she was never a mother.

Or maybe she just didn't want to deal with the repercussions that telling Tokuma would bring.

"Why is he busy?" Tokuma blinked sadly. Tokina hid the surprise in her eyes. The poor kid must be thinking he's out in a long mission. "Most of the other kids have their dads fetch them after playing, even if they are ninja. Why can't my dad do the same with me?"

"...it's complicated, Tokuma." Tokina caved in. "I know that you hear this from mom a lot of times but you _will_ understand when you're older."

Tokuma frowned and didn't dignify her with a response. The two silently watched the green-clad beasts until the sun began to set.

* * *

AN.

Okay I really don't have an excuse. I love this story but the "Naruto HYPE FLAME" died. The only thing keeping this alive is literally my muse Steven Universe and we fanfiction writers know that you can't just live off with ONE MUSE without having hype for the fandom your writing for. I don't know when my next post is but I'm determined to see this story through. I can't guarantee schedules anymore but MAYBE if I discipline myself right, it'll be 2 weeks=1 story but I might post a chapter sooner than later because this chapter is literally "HEY GUYS I'M ACTUALLY NOT DEAD".

That's all for now, sorry for the randomness and abruptness and THANK YOU for your patience if you clicked on a notification or saw this in your emails, I hope you enjoy this story and most importantly ENJOY LIFE! :)


	30. Chapter 30: Pride Pride and Pride 4

AN.

Did I say 2 weeks? I meant a _**fucking month**_...or so. Long chapter to make up for ruined expectations that is probably a fucking mess but hopefully you guys enjoy!

WARNING: MINATO HEAD CANONS AHOY! If you don't like headcanons...I'm sorry I did your version of Minato a disservice?

* * *

"Okay, stop both of you!"

The usual string of words meant for the other two boys of the team were oddly directed at another pair that usually _tried_ to make an effort to behave themselves.

Tokina stopped her barrage of slaps and thrusts while Kakashi paused his blade mid swing, both of them looking at Minato a little bit aggravated at the abrupt halt of their spar.

Or death-match,

Whichever was the more accurate term.

Obito, who was overwhelmed by the "spar" consciously closed his mouth, scurrying away from a stray snake that was supposed to ambush Kakashi but instead slithered back to Tokina.

Minato sighed at their oddly dumbfounded look.

"When I meant 'no holding back', I didn't mean kill each other." The blonde jonin stressed with exasperated hand gestures. "I'm sure that you can spar without unleashing your best genjutsu-"

Tokina deactivated her Byakugan and looked slightly sheepish, holding herself and looking away, muttering a quiet "It wasn't even traumatizing…"

"-or throwing your practice sword for your real one."

Kakashi shrugged and sheathed his small blade, pointedly ignoring the broken bōken a few feet away.

Minato sighed again, a habit that he was not keen on picking up since it would make him seem like a stressed old teacher.

He was at the prime of his youth, for God's sake!

It is too early in his life to start getting _wrinkles_.

When he saw Tokina's skills first-hand, he was glad that Kakashi found himself a partner that would keep him on his toes that didn't involve screaming, a ton of green and insane amount of testosterone and energy drinks that don't even taste remotely good. He knew that Tokina and Kakashi would develop _some_ form of rivalry, if their occasional quiet yet subtle glares were anything to pick-up on.

But this so called rivalry wasn't solely based on good-hearted competition but the drive of dominance and maybe an unhealthy grudge he wasn't aware of.

He wasn't like this when he was Jiraiya's student. Minato was the _bestest_ , _most kindest_ , _most sincerestest_ student ever.

However, in those rare, once in a blue-red moon, instances where he would disobey his teacher's instructions (or if Jiraiya didn't know what kind of wise advice he could manage to spew out before his students got suspicious) he usually got rid of him in the guise of training.

"If you two really want to tire yourselves out, go and do a single lap around Konoha." Minato mustered all his "serious sensei" voice, even going so far to cross his arms and look stern, only for the children to simultaneously raise their eyebrows, shrug and go without another word.

Obito coughed,

Minato turned at him and raised an accusing eyebrow,

"Sensei, was that just a ploy so you could buy some time to find a deep lecture you could somehow come-up within ten minutes?"

Minato pushed down the blush coming from his cheeks; his modus exposed. He coughed it down and turned away, "N-no?" He paused and faced Obito with mild worry. "Do you really think they'll be back in ten minutes?"

Obito smirked, catching his teacher's mature facade broken, "I don't know about Bakashi, but I remember Tokina complaining about the very same thing when she was under Sannin-sama's wing when we had our dinners." the Uchiha who sat cross-legged confessed with a smile in a slightly reminiscent tone.

"Oh..." Minato's slightly disappointed tone told Obito everything.

So this is why they only give one prodigy to each team. Handfuls, the lot of them.

And sure enough, Minato couldn't think of a lesson to drill into their heads when both of them arrived. Tokina didn't look fazed by the "ordeal" however he could spot a few sweatdrops around Kakashi's barely exposed face. Minato looked at them a crude look and pointed to the nearby clearing in defeat.

"...go spar,"

Obito disguised his amusement with a cough,

* * *

Team Minato wasn't the "Team Minato" Minato fantasized about when he took these three under his wing. They didn't deserve to be called a "team". They were essentially just three young children trying to make things work out and _not_ get killed in the process.

At this rate their bound to kill each other.

He didn't want them to go out on a mission without addressing this issue. There was no doubt that these three (yes, even Obito) could survive out there individually but how can he count on them to work together when they need it most?

Obito and Kakashi despise each other.

Tokina and Kakashi have this strange not-so-cold war going on.

So when he mentioned this to Kushina, she just laughed it off and said the most brilliant thing ever over dinner. "Why don't you just tie their ankles together and make them run around Konoha a few times?" She recommended with a spoonful of ramen.

He couldn't tell if he was a bad sensei for following through what was obviously meant to be a joke.

Well, instead of tying their ankles, he decided to tie their entire bodies save their head and feet together with ninja wire, which was way durable then rope, so it must be him and is sadistic streak.

...which he does not have, _of course_. Pfft, he was a good sensei that does _not_ resort to cavemen tricks to teach his little students a lesson about teamwork.

But nothing could be better than seeing his little team glaring at him, Tokina and Kakashi not appreciating their lack of body space. Tokina was trying to shy away from Kakashi, who was in the middle of the little "Team Minato" sandwich, while Obito struggled to get into a comfortable posistion. Kakashi glared at Minato, conveying the betrayal he must be feeling right now.

They looked adorable.

It was a shame he didn't have a camera with him.

Minato left without another word.

Well, he sniggered but that didn't count as a coherent word.

And so silence fell upon the trio.

"Now what?" Obito huffed, gazing at the outskirts of Konoha, slightly turning green at the realization that, if they fall, they would surely die.

He closed his eyes and focused on _not_ barfing at how high up they actually were.

Maybe he would barf. Kakashi was next to him, anyway. It would make a hell of a story when he's Hokage.

" _Now_ we make progress." Kakashi stated simply, forcing the other two to move by attempting a really bad hop. Thanks to that, the Team Minato Sandwich tripped and almost rolled to the edge with Obito screaming his head off. Tokina, taking a page from Orochimaru, quickly opened her mouth and summoned a lengthy boa, quickly streaking through the air and using the ground to push the children from dying, its length keeping them from falling to their doom. Tokina summoned two more snakes from her mouth and used them to position them from before Kakashi's little mishap.

"Oh that is nasty!" Obito screamed while staring at his best friend's mouth, despite the team Minato sandwich peering off the ledge known as Konoha Wall as the snakes did their work. "I didn't know you could open your mouth so wide!"

Once they were steady again, Tokina instantly turned green and craned her head to the edge of the wall, letting out Rin's breakfast omelette in the grossest way possible.

"Disgusting," Kakashi, the tactful devil he is, regarded the situation with a raised eyebrow and eyes wrinkling in displeasure.

"Have rods that taste like dirt and dead mice shoved down _your_ throat and see how you like it." Tokina instantly turned to the silver haired offender, letting her now bad breath wallow around Kakashi, a bit annoyed at the silver haired chunin's ungratefulness. "We can't all smell like fur and dog poop, sorry."

Kakashi narrowed his eyes, defensive about his natural body odor which was a result of _puberty_ , mind you, even though he was just nine. "Well at least one of us wasn't doing anything and standing about. How else will we circle around Konoha?"

"Not falling out of Konoha, for starters." The Hyūga replied with venom and wit.

"Ugh," Kakashi wiggled, trying to cover his already covered sensitive nose. "Your breath,"

Tokina scoffed and turned away from Kakashi, a bit red in the cheeks.

There was awkward silence among the trio before Obito spoke up, uncharacteristically calm. "Look, maybe we should calm our heads and try to find a way to circle around Konoha without dying."

"That's rich, coming from you." Kakashi rolled his eyes.

"Can you stop being so antagonistic? For once in your goddamned life?!" Obito yelled, Kakashi flinching from his voice.

"Ow! Who pinched me?" Tokina tried side-eying the two boys in annoyance, unable the rub her thigh thanks to Minato's brilliant knotting skills.

"Sorry! I thought that was Kakashi's thigh." Obito quickly apologized, unfazed by the look Kakashi gave him.

"You were trying to pinch me? In this situation?" Kakashi shook his head disapprovingly.

"Shuddup will you?!" Obito yelled,

"Ugh, noisy brat."

"Oh, so I'm the brat?! Who's the one that won't cooperate? Last time I checked, it wasn't me."

"Is this the part where you scream even louder so you can sound smart?"

" _Oh my sweet baby Jesus_ ," Tokina muttered under her breath in English, which probably sounded like a stifled curse on untrained ears.

The two continued spouting threats for a time. Here they were, the promising Team Minato consisting of the two youngest prodigies in history and an Uchiha with the potential to become greater than ever imagined reduced to boys pinching their thighs and trying to kick each other's shins.

Tokina sighed, suddenly regretting all of her life's decisions.

"I swear, if both of you don't shut up this instant, I will poison the both of you and make sure the next time you'll see daylight is next month!" Tokina growled.

Obito narrowed his eyes, calling her out on her bluff. "You wouldn't."

Tokina opened her mouth and, refusing to gag, summoned two vipers that peeked out from her mouth to show how far her "bluffing" would go. Kakashi wisely closed his mouth and Obito instantly apologized.

Another round of awkward silence formed around the sandwich.

Tokina sighed. "Look, we aren't going to become the team the Hokage expects us to be if we can't even last two minutes together without threatening each other's moms and man parts."

Obito flinched at the little stern scolding Tokina sent his way.

"If you don't want to be friends with us, Kakashi, that's fine. We just need your cooperation _without_ me having to threaten you to submission."

Kakashi clicked his tongue.

"So..." Tokina began hesitantly. "How are we going to do this?"

Obito tried to shrug, the rope binding them from that form of expression. "Maybe we could...waddle our way across Konoha?"

Kakashi let out a resigned sigh, "That would take too long." He reasoned. "If we tripped, and chances are with you here, Obito, that was likely, it would be the end of us."

"Hey!" Obito huffed out indignantly, causing the other two to wince. Tokina rolled her eyes. Desperation caused her to activate her Byakugan, knowing that it might be a fruitless effort. She examined the ninja wire, thoroughly tied and knotted in a way they couldn't untie it if they tried.

"Kakashi, can you perform jutsus without handseals yet?" Tokina questioned

"Depends on what jutsu." Kakashi questioned, raising a brow.

"Shadow Clone."

"...I can try."

The Obito and Tokina, much to their surprise, were happily expecting to see another Kakashi poof into existence. They waited and waited, the silver haired chunin even closing his eyes and...

A sorry excuse of a clone, much worse than whatever Obito could conjure up when he was a student appeared before them, sad and weak and fluttered against the wind like paper.

Obito tried masking his snort with a cough when he could practically sense the dirty eye Tokina was giving him, reminding him not to break the fragile truce they had.

"So much for that idea." The Hyūga girl tried smiling at Kakashi in good humor, if he could see it. "We'll come up with something."

Two minutes of silence ensured before Tokina spoke up again.

"...I could summon a snake to swallow us and slither us across Konoha." Tokina quietly recommended.

The two boys shuddered, partly for imagining their female comrade managing to open her mouth wide enough to summon a snake that big to swallow them to take them on a joyride around the village and the other half actually trying to imagine tolerating being inside a snake's stomach.

Surprise filled the air filled with awkwardness and dread when it was Kakashi who opened his mouth first (thankfully,).

And it wasn't even in a rude manner.

"Can you open your mouth big enough?" He quietly questioned, looking straight ahead and avoiding the gazes of the bread of the team Minato sandwich.

Tokina smirked before frowning at what she was about to do. "I can try."

She gulped in a huge chunk of air and opened her mouth, Kakashi closing his eyes, refusing to turn his head to Obito and the Uchiha instead favoring to stare in horror as a giant boa emerged from his best-friend's mouth.

That scene was and will forever be burned in his mind and will constantly remind him why he doesn't have a crush on Tokina.

It was worse than any of her genjutsu.

Angry Rin?

Dirty diapers?

Ghosts?

He tried prying his eyes, trying to look away from the grotesque image Tokina was feeding them.

He felt like he turned green.

The snake slithered around them, its muscles hanging off Konoha's wall since it didn't exactly fit their small part on the wall. Tokina, lacking in anything in her stomach, gagged loudly instead of vomiting for a while.

"Ugh," she managed to mutter in between her gagging, tearing up "No more..."

The snake wasted no time and gobbled them up, Kakashi keeping his eyes firmly shut and pursing his mouth Obito continued to scream in terror, which was being muffled by the serpent eating them up while Tokina seized the opportunity to pass out.

* * *

When the boa spit them out and poofed out of existance, Minato immediately took his shocked and slightly catatonic students and delivered them to Training Ground 3 in his arms, trying his hardest not to get that disgusting goop on him. He cut the rope, Obito immediately catching the passed out Tokina and shifted her body and carried her bridal style.

Minato beamed at his three students. This was arguably the most productive Wednesday he had! He did the laundry, finished all his reports, did the groceries for Kushina and hung out with friends for the longest time in a while. Of course he was ready to save his little student sandwich if they ever fell to their doom (which he almost did before Tokina pulled out a snake from the most unreasonable place in her body) but after Tokina's little stunt that scarred him for life and calculating how long that snake would take to circle the entire Konoha wall, he immediately informed the guards stationed there to _not_ freak out when they see a giant brown spotted boa.

Tokina's stunt will probably be the in tomorrow morning's headlines.

Obito threw Minato's dashing and charming smile with a sneer that all Uchiha inherited, carrying Tokina in his arms, who was still passed out. The afternoon sunlight glistened against the digestive enzymes that were rightfully inside the snake. Kakashi, who still looked dignified despite his hair looking like a wet dog, glared at Minato.

"Good work team!" He announced with a smile. "Same time tomorrow?"

* * *

Minato, with Kushina's insistence when she finally got bored of seeing his team suffer after inviting her to witness their little teamwork training for the _fourth time_ , recommended a new training regime for them to work on their teamwork without Obito missing out valuable shinobi lessons that were essential in every mission because it was painfully obvious that he needed a refresher course.

"I'll announce a new program for us. Since you all know the basics, we'll need to work on teamwork and formations. Although teamwork is a necessity—"

—A snort from Kakashi.

"—individual skills are also important. What is teamwork if you can't defend yourself?"

An approving nod from Kakashi.

"So I found a way to combine the two."

Tokina chuckled, making Minato lose his "wise-sensei" momentum.

Obito grinned at Tokina who had the decency to _try_ and stifle it. "Sensei, just be honest that Kushina-san was the one that came up with this. We won't think any less of you."

Minato frowned, pushing back down an embarrassed blush that threatened to reveal itself to the rest of the world. "W-what do you mean? What made you assume this was another of Kushina's schemes?"

" _I_ listen to Kushina-san's stories instead of giving her disgustingly sweet goo-goo eyes" Obito revealed his secret with a proud smirk. "She literally told us this when we went eating out."

"Hmph," Minato, the future fourth Homage in all of his reverence, crossed his arms childishly, pouting "if your such a good listener, what did she—I mean _I_ —plan?"

"Every Monday, you're going to make one of us teach something the remaining two probably don't know." Obito shrugged. "Honestly, it isn't that hard to memorize sensei."

Before Minato could defend himself, Obito had a split-second epiphany. He grinned at Minato like he was caught in the act...which he _wasn't!_

"Sensei, is this just a ploy so you could spend more time with Kushina-san?" Obito rolled his eyes. Tokina shrugged, silently agreeing with the assumption. It seemed like Kakashi agreed with how he crossed his arms and said nothing. There was this accusing look all three of his students gave him that he didn't care for.

"N-no! Why would you say that?" The offended jonin blurted out. He coughed under his team's scrutiny. "B-besides, I'll still be monitoring you three so I'll be with you guys. Who knows, I might pick something up from you three." He grinned, trying to paint himself in a new light.

More disbelieving silence,

"How would we know that you didn't use a Shadow Clone to watch us?" Kakashi raised an eyebrow.

"What is it with all of you not believing that I want to teach this team?!" Minato groaned in frustration. "I deserve better than this."

Disbelieving eyebrows from team sandwich,

"Fine then," He sat down the grass with crossed arms and a pouty face. "You first then, Kakashi-kun, since you're so great." The blonde instructed pettily.

Eyes on Kakashi,

He blinked at them and slowly stood up, obeying the new program with a slight, sadistic glint in his eyes.

"I'll teach you the basics of tracking."

Tokina visibly paled,

* * *

"Minato-sensei, can't you make yourself useful and help us?" Obito scowled at his jonin instructor who was treating the whole "program" like a game. He was all smiles and humming while the _productive ones_ , also known as Tokina and Obito, were busy trying to find a rubber ball Kakashi produced out nowhere and hid somewhere in the forest

"What are you talking about, Obito?" Minato innocently blinked at the Uchiha, racking his brains to remember if a cracked twig to the left was a sign the target went east or west. He should know this by now! He specifically remembered Rin teaching him this for the finals!

"Tracking involves listening, maybe you should listen better." He chirped a little bit too happily.

Obito gave a murderous look to his petty instructor, in which Minato rebounded with his natural charm.

The sun was already setting and they haven't seen hide or hair of Kakashi or the damned ball. Tokina was straining her Byakugan, using the knowledge of what Soma-sensei gave her to help her track. Whenever she tried tapping into that knowledge, she couldn't help but shudder at remembering the dark forest, eyes in every bush and the feeling of impending death and doom in every turn.

It was not a good memory.

Obito sighed, giving up with the twig and turned to Tokina. "Any clues, Kina-chan?"

She shook my head.

He groaned again and continued leading their small team into the forest of Training Ground 3.

He eyes Tokina after she left a sharp groan and positioned her hands in a familiar manner, ready to summon either butterflies or snakes to do her bidding. Minato instantly seized her up and slapped both of her hands down. "Ah-ah-ah, no summons." He gave her a bright smile. With how Tokina looked at sensei, Obito was quite sure how Tokina wanted nothing more than to give Minato-sensei a _real_ slap.

An annoyed Hyūga with an urge to slap is not someone you should mess with. Obito knew this all too well.

"What if the ball is with Bakashi?" Obito thought out loud. "And he's been avoiding us _while_ following us, if that makes sense."

Tokina rubbed her eyes, deactivating her Byakugan. "That would make sense however he would need to avoid my Byakugan, which requires him to adjust to how I angle my head." Tokina explained to the impatient Uchiha.

She activated her Byakugan and shook her head. "He's good but he's not _that_ good."

Minato shrugged, continuing his annoying humming while Obito looked gave her a resigned look.

"Back to ball finding then,"

* * *

Kakashi wiped the sweat off his forehead. He was not prepared for the girl to shake her head like that.

He adjusted the purple ball on his hand while the clan kids began went back to searching for him. Minato gave him an obvious side-eye. He rolled his eyes and adjusted himself. The proud Hatake memorized the blind spot of the Byakugan, a necessity if you want to win against a Hyūga and trained with Gai to manoeuver around it.

Minato turned back to the children who were probably discussing plans and tactics to find the ball instead of continue their blind search.

This was, he admitted with slight surprise, fun when he's not the one on the other end of the fruitless searching game. Maybe one day, even with the slim chances of him getting a genin team, he would do the same thing in due time.

He tried not to scoff at the idea.

Him? A jonin sensei? Impossible.

The possibility of him getting a genin team was as thin as him thinking of Obito as a blood brother and Tokina as attractive.

Preposterous,

Impossible,

Nauseating,

Why would he even think of himself associated with that idiotic loud mouth who calls himself an Uchiha? He scolded himself before falling back to the shadows. He tensed before adjusting to the Hyūga who activated her Byakugan after rubbing her temples.

Kakashi repressed the urge to flinch when she opened her mouth to yawn, even if the girl did cover it.

…He tried hard not to shudder at the memory of her opening her mouth _monstrously_ wide.

The silver haired ninja shook his head, trying to get that horrible memory out of his brain.

Back to business,

* * *

Obito was bored,

Deathly bored,

Bored and frustrated,

They were so bored and frustrated that when Obito began throwing random shurikens out of sheer boredom (and because the Uchiha stockroom has more shuriken they knew what to do with) Tokina didn't even scold him for using his ninja tools so wildly.

"Sensei, I have a dinner to go to and a younger brother to play with." Tokina complained, giving her Byakugan a break for the fifth time today. It was night time and Minato still didn't want to release them from their "training program" also known as "I'm too lazy to teach you guys so here, teach yourselves."

"We could do this tomorrow, dammit!" Obito screamed his frustrations out, deciding that the tree next to him needed more shurikens embedded on its bark.

Minato sighed at Obito's impatience, a deadly characteristic that a ninja could die from. At least Tokina-

"...I have a baby brother to coddle." The girl muttered quietly, agreeing with Obito before Minato could finish his thought.

Minato pursed his lips and then smiled when he realized what buttons to push to fan Obito's flame.

He just needed a little push,

"So are you admitting that Kakashi is better than you in every way?"

"N-no way!" Obito, tired and fed up, still tried to put some fight in him. "Bakashi will never be better than me! _Never-ever-forever_!" He fist pumped in the dark. Minato grinned cheekily at his successful manipulation attempt. He turned to Tokina expectantly.

She shrugged, her eyes darting to the far left and narrowed.

Minato saw the face of mischief flash for a second before turning back into her neutral face.

"I already accepted the fact that he is stronger than me in every way."

Obito looked crestfallen while Minato just raised an eyebrow.

She continued even when nobody even asked her to. "I mean, I could barely win against him in sparring, lost to him in the chunin exams and I can't even find a ball in a forest." Tokina sighed dejectedly. "What does that say about my skills as a chunin?"

"Tokina-chan..." Minato let out. He knew that her mental health wasn't the strongest in this time but he didn't know that the female prodigy had major self-esteem issues. She looked like she wasn't the type.

The Hyūga covered her face with a groan. "Maybe I really shouldn't have accepted that chunin promotion. I can't stand it being in the shadow of Kakashi if it's going to be like this."

Obito was about to reassure his best friend while Minato, sure that this was some kind of ploy, waited for something to happen.

Both flinched back when she deftly turned around, her Byakugan activated and her eyebrows narrowed.

"Vacuum Palm!"

Kakashi flew away and so did trees, rocks and the general forest bed, much to Obito's astonishment. She immediately rushed him, jabbing and sealing his tenketsu points so that he would be as mobile as a cripple. He groaned in pain, Tokina ready to jab his heart to finish the job.

"B-but how?" Kakashi groaned out, eyes barely open.

"I activated my Byakugan when I covered my face." Tokina explained. "Props to you for evading my vision," She congratulated him before jabbing his heart. Using her Byakugan, she searched for the damnable rubble ball they pulled their hair for and tossed it to Obito.

"I have a baby brother to attend to. Goodbye and goodnight." She bowed formally and left without a second later wasted.

Obito blinked while Minato sighed and walked towards Kakashi.

* * *

Kakashi blinked his eyes open. For some reason he had a massive headache and an aching heart. The last thing he remembered was Tokina's smirking face before everything turned black.

He wanted to face-palm himself.

...despite Tokina doing that for him already.

He let his guard down.

Why?

Because of petty compliments and praises,

How shameful.

What did it matter to him if a Hyūga girl praises him? He should be above this...this… _preschool level manipulation tactics_! Was there a hole in his sound psychology that she managed to tug?

Impossible,

He stopped his scowling when he realized that he was being carried like a sack of potatoes in familiar hands.

"You're awake," Minato said,

"Hn,"

Great, was he going to get lectured on how he was supposed to take his teammate seriously again? Or the value of team work?

He respected Minato, he really did, but some jobs are left doing alone.

He wanted those jobs.

Those two can do whatever they want.

"So, you aren't going to question me on why I didn't call you out?"

Kakashi rolled his eyes even if the older teen knew he probably couldn't see it, knowing well enough to not struggle from the older man's grasp. Besides, it was the middle of the night anyway. Nobody would see him in this humiliating position.

He'll make sure nobody would see.

"I'm sure you have your reasons, Sensei."

"So you don't want to?"

"Keep them," Kakashi snorted rudely, wincing at how disrespectful he was being. A trait he _obviously_ picked up from Obito.

"Fine," Minato pouted childishly. "I even prepared a whole speech and everything. You're missing out."

"Its fine, sensei." Kakashi assured the man and continued his sarcastic streak. "I'll manage somehow."

Dammit! He tried to stop! That damnable Uchiha's influence…

"Kids and their sarcasm," Minato grumbled, unaware of Kakashi's internal turmoil. He sighed before smiling down to Kakashi "Oh well, at least I have a story to tell Kushina!"

* * *

A week passed of training and D-ranks. Tokuma's taijutsu was going surprisingly well. Not "Hyūga Neji" well but above average, Tokina admitted to herself with only a _small_ tinge of jealousy. With more chakra control for precise stabs, Tokina was sure that her little brother will surpass her in terms of taijutsu. Not that she was focusing on her  
taijutsu so she wasn't all that offended.

One day,

When she's super old and let her skills dull,

So she developed a prideful streak of being an elder sister. Sue her. What kind of older sibling liked being shown up by their younger counterpart? Not her, that's for sure.

The little bear didn't want to learn anything that wasn't taijutsu, though. She couldn't entice him with ninjutsu because, when Obito wasn't squatting about in their household, the house was literally dominated by support-nin. A medic-nin, an aspiring medic-nin and a genjutsu mistress. She didn't know what was up with Rin and mom but it seemed that they wouldn't teach Tokuma anything _but_ medical-ninjutsu.

"But look, Tokuma-kun," Rin conjured a Mystic Palm like it was nothing, much to Tokina's eternal envy, on the practice teddy bear that they abused since Rin was sick of the house smelling like fish. The large tear began stitching up swiftly. In less than five seconds, the bear looked brand new. "Mr. Bear is all fixed up now! Isn't medical-ninjutsu great?" She smiled at the deadly toddler, low-key propping her ego up for the young toddler.

Who shrugged nonchalantly at her efforts to tempt him into medical-nin-dom.

"With respect, Rin-nee-chan, but I can do that with a string and needle." He got Mr. Bear nonetheless, and continued playing with him...it.

Mr. Bear is an _it_.

Tokina quickly decided that she should remove herself from Tokuma's presence whenever he played with .

"But what if you don't have a needle and thread, Tokuma-kun?" She attempted to convince the toddler patiently. "Who will fix-up your team ma—"

Tokina gave Rin a scathing look, Tokuma blissfully unaware by Tokina's overprotectiveness

Tokuma didn't see the exchange. "—your stuffed animals-" Rin wisely amended, "—when they get hurt?"

" _If_ they get hurt," Tokuma rebutted with the dreaded finger-wagging, "I'll be super careful so my stuffed animals won't need to get tears and rips anymore."

Rin relented, unable to find a rebuttal that didn't involve blood and too much responsibility.

For now,

Tokina gave Rin an innocent smile, which she returned, a bit haggardly.

* * *

"Obito, it's your turn this week." Minato informed the late as usual Uchiha, not even bothering to work himself up over his student's tardiness, as usual. Obito shot his head up, making it painfully obvious that his head was in the clouds _yet again_ , before masking his sheepishness by swaggering in front of Kakashi and Tokina.

Who both thought that he forgot that it was his turn to "teach" them _something_.

"Y-yeah!" He began eloquently. Minato gave him a patient smile and Tokina could have sworn Kakashi said "this is going to be rich," under his breath. Tokina smirked and absent-mindedly gave Obito a nod of encouragement to continue.

"I'm going to teach you guys about..." With a trained "Obito's bad habits" eye, Tokina saw how his eyes protected with an orange lens from this googles began shifting nervously, as if trying to find something to practice on. His eyes settled for a piece of ninja wire lying innocently on Minato's hip.

"The uses of ninja wire!" Obito announced, as if he planned the entire thing, even digging out his pack and brought out his own length of ninja wire.

Silence,

"...we studied this in the academy or did you even pay attention?" Kakashi scoffed.

"You were only in the academy for a year! How would you know?!"

"The fact that I remembered Inuzuka-sensei discussing this in the academy in my first and last year means that you weren't paying attention at all."

"Why you-"

"SO, THE USES OF NINJA WIRE?!" Minato's exasperated voice loudly stopped the fight.

How precious,

Obito glared at Kakashi one last time before continuing. "Well, not really the uses of ninja wire but how the Uchiha uses the wire!" He puffed out his chest at the mention of his family name with pride.

Tokina let out a disapproving sound from the back of her throat. "I don't know about the Uchiha but the Hyūga take great lengths to protect their Hiden Jutsu."

Minato nodded. "I believe that would be problematic for all of us. I don't want us to get in trouble with the Uchihas."

Obito shook his head in desperation, "I-It's not really a Hiden, anyone can do it! It's just that the Uchiha's invented it and kinda refused to share it."

"That _is_ a Hiden, you idiot." Kakashi deadpanned.

Obito chose to ignore _all_ their warnings.

"Fire Release: Dragon Fire." Obito announced hislesson that will _not_ bring them strife with the Uchihas, explaining the theory behind it. He gave a demonstration and after a few minutes of him just repeating the hand seals over and over again, Tokina was left staring hopelessly at her ninja wire after he instructed for everyone to do the same after practically _begging_ to let him teach this clan trick to them.

"An elemental ninjutsu, huh?" She gave him a crestfallen look. She knew that Kakashi had at least three elemental transformations under his belt as well as Minato. She couldn't help but bite the inside of her cheek in slight annoyance. It figures that, in a world where you could make the elements that made up this world your personal shotgun, she wouldn't have the power everyone has. If she had a wiki page, under her elemental transformations would literally just be Yin Release. It's pathetic.

"Yup," Obito answered her rhetorical question with a smile.

"...should I go?"

"Now, Tokina-chan," Minato put a hand on the dejected girl's head as a bad way of cheering her up. "You could at least try."

And try she did for fucking _hours_.

Kakashi and Minato did it in their first try while Tsokina was _still_ struggling in chakra conversation.

What amazes me her is that they didn't fell for the genjutsu that fooled a Sannin when she attempted it, trying to fool them into thinking she actually did it with a really believable genjutsu. They broke through her little assortment of smoke-and-mirrors with a smirk, Kakashi looking irritatingly smug at catching her during her attempt at foul play.

The bastard,

"How did you manage to graduate early without a nature transformation?" Kakashi prodded a little bit pointedly.

"Academics and really good genjutsu." Tokina shrugged, focusing on converting her chakra once more. "Oh, and summons."

Kakashi looked unsatisfied with her answer but relented anyway.

Even when the sun began to set, Minato and his students were still in the training grounds trying to help little Ms.I-can't-do-it. Minato even went to the store and bought snacks for them while the boys watched her fail. Well, at least one of the more _kind-hearted_ of the duo tried instructing her on how to convert her base chakra to fire. It failed, of course.

"I don't need to do this." Tokina haughtily declared after failing what she thought was a test of patience, throwing the ninja wire at the floor. "I made chunin without a single elemental transformation and I can continue living my life without one." Tokina announced, irritated at her oh-so special chakra for not cooperating.

Minato smiled at what he supposed was the girl's version of enthusiasm, "That's the spirit!"

"Don't encourage mediocrity, sensei." Kakashi snorted all high and mighty.

"' _Don't encourage mediocrity_ ' he says, can't even make a believable genjutsu to save his life." Tokina scoffed quietly aside herself even though the audience has ears.

Kakashi rolled his eyes. "Genjutsu isn't all that impressive, anyway."

"Hmph," The Hyūga girl crossed my arms and raised a challenging eyebrow. "So are cloth masks but you don't hear me moaning about your fashion sense."

Obito guffawed and Minato chocked on the water he was drinking. Kakashi, who Tokina suspected had red ears, turned to the side quickly, a hand faintly touching the part of his face covered in cloth but consciously stopping it midway.

"What does fashion have to do with being a great ninja?"

"Art of seduction one- _oh_ -one? It was a requirement for all ninjas, even the boys. Did you take notes? I can lend you mine." She crossed her arms, giving him the thoroughly-hated _up-down_ look that all kinds of people do when they belittle someone. "All black was so last era. It's all about blending in with the crowd, now."

"You got that out of a magazine," Kakashi accused, not offended by the _slightest_.

"And you got those shoes by a bargain-mart. I know, I was eyeing those very same pair last week." Tokina supplied, smirking at the way Kakashi's toes flinched.

Yep, not offended by the _slightest_.

"Now, now." Minato calmed the storm. "You don't need ninjutsu to be a great ninja." The blonde agreed with me. Kakashi gave him a traitorous look.

Oh no! His Minato-hime is paying his other students attention besides the faithful Kakashi! Call the police! The priests! Blasphemy to the highest degree!

"Look at me for instance," he pointed to himself. "I focus on fūinjutsu and I'm jonin."

We shook of the fact that the _humble_ Minato-sensei was complimenting himself just to prove a point.

"But sensei," Kakashi began, _almost_ sounding whiney. "I've seen you use Wind Release in our missions."

Tokina sighed and didn't take the painfully obvious bait. Obito probably saw what he assumed as defeat on Tokina's face. He immediately turned defensive and acted as a proxy for the girl.

"You're tooting that horn, Bakashi but all I've seen you use is that stupid Mud Wall." Obito gave him the Uchiha sneer that he's been practicing. Tokina was faintly impressed how stuck-up Obito sounded. She, however, still had problems with the Hyūga deadpan. Whenever she tried doing it, she had to double the effort not to laugh at herself. She, as Tokina thought, had already perfected the resting-bitch-face so it was probably no need.

"That's because I don't need to use my full arsenal on idiots."

"You say that but I bet your all talk!"

"I know all the forms of elemental transformations except Wind. You only know Fire Release, which isn't even that impressive, and throwing shuriken,"

"So what? At least I'm good at the things I do! Throwing rocks and spitting saliva doesn't count as Earth Release and Water Release!"

Minato and Tokina, watching the exchange, chuckled at Obitos witty retort. Minato thought it was the combined efforts of Tokina and Kushina's influence on him. He hoped that Obito wouldn't use that smart mouth on him.

Though the chances are, he probably will.

"I don't need to prove it to the likes of you." Kakashi calmly said, "Especially to ninja that couldn't tell he was being shadowed."

"Okay you two, settled down." Minato got between them again when Obito raised his fist and Kakashi preparing his tantō.

* * *

After training with Tokuma after a week, Tokina began reviewing the various medical-ninjutsu she was planning to teach tomorrow. She played with a chakra string all the while flipping the pages of her notebook. She toyed around with the chakra string, practicing her chakra control while she flipped through the pages of her medical-jutsu book.

Hyūga Tokina was and always will be paranoid and manipulative.

Something she sadly inherited from her first mentor, Orochimaru.

This was a perfect opportunity for her to teach Obito something that could be used to defend himself _when_ Kannabi happens. She had a separate notebook for all the jutsu she remembered that was displayed on the show and, with her newfound knowledge of chakra and how jutsus work, began writing the theories of it and how it worked. She hasn't been practicing those said theories since she didn't have the time but now is a good time to do it. She summoned a fairly large boa from the sleeve of her night yukata which spat out the notebook containing the jutsus.

She spun around the string in my hand while she flipped through the pages.

Rasengan?

Even if she taught it to them, suspicion would arise from Minato. He's already began developing it and working through the theory of the famed spiral-destructo-ball, and even then it seemed that neither Kakashi nor Obito uses it often. It could be attributed to their chakra control, however.

…the repercussions wouldn't be worth it.

Mystic Palm?

It takes discipline and a studious nature to even stich up a scratch. She didn't have that kind of time.

The basics of genjutsu?

Chakra control, yet again, is the problem. They also didn't have the training wheels called Akinosuke to help them with it. They already know how to break through genjutsu when we did an allout spar anyway, so it was good that they can recognize it. Most of the genjutsu written here takes practice, which isn't something she can teach in one day. She needed a jutsu that would prevent Obito from getting ambushed by ninja, something that could protect him, something that he could use so that he _wouldn't_ be crushed by a goddamn _rock_.

...cave in-s…

Protection of the Eight Triagrams 64 Palms saved Naruto and Kiba in a nasty one and she's been practicing the technique for some time now because a healthy paranoia never hurt _anybody_. Technically speaking, you don't need the Byakugan to deflect rocks, the chakra strings help and it isn't an official jutsu according to the jutsu library in the Hyūga compound which she visited regularly. However, with that all the other jutsu listed in her little theory book, it required immense chakra control that the Hyūgas had.

The summoned boa slithered around her arm, not bothered by the activity of her twirling the little chakra string like a ribbon.

Maybe she could dumb it down?

However that would require a lot of chakra to compensate for the control.

…But if her plans succeeded, he should have the Sharingan even before the little tragedy happened.

Chakra, reflexes and tons of determination were needed.

And Obito had that aplenty

* * *

"Okay, Tokina-chan, you're up." Minato called her up and front after a few warm-ups.

Obito gave her thumbs up while Kakashi gave the Hyūga an assessing stare.

"I've chosen to teach taijutsu." She started off, "However, it might be a little bit hard for _some_ of you since it requires a lot of chakra control but I found a way to perform this technique without years of training."

This set off warning bells to Minato.

As it should,

She wasn't sure about the Uchiha since most of the Uchiha culture shown in the show is all about _edginess_ and _hate_ and how well black works with red but the Hyūga wouldn't hesitate to disown her if she even _dared_ teaching them the basics of Jyūken.

Oh, and unfairly gorgeous men sans Obito.

"Tokina-chan, I appreciate the effort in this little program but you don't need to teach is Hiden Jutsu if it will get you in trouble." Minato said worried for the taciturn girl's well-being.

"I appreciate your concern, sensei, but it's not that necessary." She smiled at him, finding an obvious loophole at the whole Hiden thing. "Protocol states that I shouldn't share any _known_ Hiden jutsu. It didn't say anything about developing jutsu and I haven't presented it to the head so I can list you guys down as…helpers."

"You made a new jutsu?" Obito looked excited at the prospect that his best friend made a new jutsu and that she was going to teach it to _him_. Minato looked at her proudly, reminding him a little of himself. Making new jutsu like it was nothing! Ha!

"Here let me demonstrate." She stepped a few paces back, the boys standing up, Obito was the most enthusiastic out of them all. "Just make chakra strings like so." she made some in my fingertips, finding it easier than weaving some in the palm of your hand.

"Make them sharper; stronger, flexible and just weave them." With her experienced arms, she weaved a net of light blue chakra strings around that was as sharp as blades. With quick movements and focus, they extended quickly, slicing the ground a bit. She showed off a little, doing a little twirl around her fingers, making the strings follow suit like a ribbon.

"However, since you all aren't…Hyūgas, it is common knowledge to use concentrated chakra to strengthen your blows. If you do this while performing this technique, then the end result _should_ be the same, albeit weaker."

Tokina activated her Byakugan, "I'll use my Byakugan so I can see where your directing your chakra to, since all kinds of techniques demands _some_ form of chakra control."

"So, what's it called? Your technique, I mean." Minato questioned with a smile after the two boys got into work. Of course he ignored Tokina's instructions of using concentrated chakra and managed to make a weaker version of a chakra net, though a bit slow. He was Minato Namikaze, for whoever's sake! The Rasengan _demanded_ chakra control to be used.

"I was thinking Protective Eight Triagrams: 64 Palms since I based it on that." She stated with a smile. It wasn't a lie. She was already plagiarizing the Byakugan Princess herself, she didn't need to rename it.

Plus, she's pretty sure Hinata based it on that, anyway.

Minato frowned. "It _does_ sound official but _I_ think you can do much better."

She tilted my head, fearing Minato's naming streak. Tokina did _not_ want him to ruin Hinata's jutsu. The unborn girlie deserves better than whatever Minato had in store for her signature-but-only-in-filler-and-video-games move.

"I was thinking something more original." He stroked his non-existent beard thoughtfully, a habit he probably picked up from Jiraiya. He thought of the name as the boys began flailing their arms wildly. Tokina abandoned Minato to his thinking and instructed _both_ of them before Minato piped up. "Hyūga Style: Heaven's Light Weaving Protection!" He slammed his fist on his open palm with childish enthusiasm.

Tokina closed her mouth with a _click_ while Kakashi eyed her weirdly, glancing at his sensei. "What's he on about?" He asked Tokina who was considering disowning this…this… _goober_.

"I don't know him." She rushed out, second-hand shame filling her. Kakashi raised an eyebrow before thinking that the whole situation wasn't worth his attention and followed Tokina's advice and resumed practice.

"Not good enough?" Minato slumped, voice oozing with disappointment.

She shook my head. Fervently.

"Okay, how about "Hyūga Style: Ultimate Defense of Heaven's Light Weave"!" He announced, Kakashi overhearing this and cringing.

Tokina would have thought Minato was being so adorable, hoping that his dorkiness would still be there once he'll be Hokage but since he was ruining the badass jutsu for Tokina, she just hoped that she wouldn't have to write that _disgusting_ name down in official paper work

"Right," she nodded seriously. He looked joyful before she opened her mouth again. "Protection of the Eight Triagrams: 64 Palms it is then."

"No..." He whined.

 _whined_!

"C'mon, it's not every day my new students creates her first jutsu! I want it to be special." He pleaded her with big, sad eyes.

He looked so sad and pitiful with those blue eyes and how he's literally looking at her like a kicked puppy even though he's taller and—

Tokina repressed the urge to groan, blaming her weak heart.

"I'll think about it, sensei." She beamed at him.

He nodded, looking eternally grateful. "That's all a teacher could ask for."

Hyūga Tokina then decided to forever live through the guilt of _not_ registering the new jutsu.

* * *

AN.

OH SHIT I'M ACTUALLY NOT DEAD?!1?!111?1?1?1

Anyway, to get back into things, I've begun watching Boruto instead of watching clips from Youtube! Isn't it convienient how I decided to do this when the anime is finally up to par in terms of timeline with the movie? Totally a coincidence! Another reason why I made this extra long is because I _really_ don't know when I'll post the next chapter even though my vacation ends at July 9 but I am determined to post at _least_ two or three chapters before then.

Plus, to make sure I _know_ what I'm writing about, I'm going to reread the previous chapters because after reading your reviews (omg I y'all I have reviews!) I really didn't remember _most_ of the things you guys were reacting to. I literally had to ask my beshie who was _more informed than me about **my** fanfic_ what some of you guys meant.

Hears hoping I don't cringe to death because I remember chapter one being littered with cursing. Don't hesitate to review guys! I genuinely laughed with my best friend at this one review that was like "If not dead, pls update" because that _so_ relatable.

But like if its a hate review, please hesitate. There is a difference between hate and constructive critiscism. Attack me all you want but _please_ put in a reason so I can get better at this! Not just "Ugh, terrible fanfic!". Was it Tokina? Was it my writing style? Maybe you just have a different opinion on things? I don't want to be left confused and thinking "wow this person literally put the time and effort to type out _ew fanfic hate_ and not actually give me the reason why they hate it"

Anyways thats it, enjoy life :)


	31. Chapter 31: Missions and Punishments 1

AN

Hey, Mr."Please update now to make me truly happy",

...Surprise!

2/3 promised updates.

WARNGING: There _might_ be some edit errors since, as I said, all of these are prewritten from about last year. I just edit them since _wow_ was I terrible. I'm converting this fanfic from 1st person to 3rd person so that the plot wouldn't be so obvious without making Tokina _not_ think about her plans

When, as her character is written, is all she _thinks_ about so forgive me if there is a stray "our" "my" or "I".

Especially "I"s sine the find tool can't just single out lone "I"s,

This applies for future chapters!

* * *

"Oh wouldn't these look cute on you, Tokina-chan?" Rin smiled at Tokina, holding up a pair of dangly earrings. She gave Rin a wary smile and slowly brought the medic-nin's hand down.

"Eh, you know how I feel about anything that pierces my skin." Tokina gave her an apologetic look.

The two girls finally managed to squeeze in some time for themselves, Tokina with practicing and tutoring Obto and Tokuma while Rin was still adjusting to her new job in the medic-corps and not interning them. The light haired brunette really is a talented medic-nin, much to Akane's pleasure. Maybe one day, she'll attract Tsunade's attention but that day was not today.

Today was girl's day out.

As far as the two brunettes were concerned, there was no war, no boys, no nothing, just two girls enjoying each other's company.

"Oh right," she pursed her lips and dropped the piece of jewlery back into its display. Rin picked up a decorative hair stick for Tokina while the Hyūga picked up a headband for her. They tried it on in front of a large body mirror and did a few silly poses, never intending to buy any of it unless it was really good looking.

Window-shoppers,

They were the worst kind of customers.

"So, did you read today's headline?" Tokina started, practicing some exercises her therapist wanted her to try out, trying out a necklace that went _great_ with the blue kimono with floral patterns and black hakama she was wearing. "I can't believe someone got raped by a _toothbrush_ of all things. Weird what people do to others these days, even at the times of war." Tokina dropped the necklace that neither girls could afford with their current salary. She turned to Rin who was staring longingly out the window. More precisely, she was staring at Asuma and Kurenai hanging out in an _intimate_ sort of way.

" _Jesus Christ,_ they're just nine years old." Tokina whispered to herself, melding English and Japanese together. Tokina admitted that maybe later down the line, she would find someone to hold her hand and _not_ judge her for eating too much chocolate and filling up the bathroom with beauty products. She knew that life was either a dream that would interfere with her "plans" or already dead because of the choices she made. That little setback, however, didn't stop her from enjoying some teenage romance novels.

She was, however, still surprised that Rin kept harboring feelings over Kakashi despite them having second to no physical contact at all.

Tokina snapped her fingers, fully loaded with _sass_ , in front of the civilian-born. "Last time I checked, the mirror was that way." Tokina teased in good nature with a smirk. Rin blinked and whirled at the amused Hyūga.

"Sorry! Just got…a little distracted there." Rin apologized before falling back to that smile she was so known for.

Tokina frowned,

Maybe it _wasn't_ the fact that she was single.

"Is something wrong?" Tokina asked with a tilt of her head.

Rin gave her a tired look, a look that Tokina was all too used.

Its either she let someone die or she blamed herself for that said someone dying.

"It's just that, I healed my first patient in the field. A deep cut, entry point from the pelvic region up to the upper torso. He was bleeding all over." She confessed, looking away. Tokina pursed her lips and held herself.

"He died,"

Tokina nodded, never experiencing "doctor-guilt" but she could still _somewhat_ sympathize.

"I was just thinking..." She faced her with a pensive smile. "What if I didn't accept that internship?"

Tokina's eyes widened a bit, surprised and not at all expecting _those_ words. She thought that Rin was mad at herself for her not-so-ineptitude as a medical-ninja, not regretting the choices made for her. Tokina quickly bit her tongue, hiding the guilt that was creeping from her chest to her throat. She drowned it out with six words that justified everything that she has done so far.

" _She is not going to die."_

Rin avoided Tokina's gaze, "Maybe if I hadn't accepted the internship, I wouldn't be feeling this way…"

"I think a healthy empathy is great." Tokina spouted out all too quickly, successfully stopping Rin's train of thought. "If your patient died and you didn't feel bad, I'd call you a monster." Tokina gave Rin a heavy smile.

"A monster, huh," Rin muttered, staring out the window.

"If it were up to me," Tokina began slowly, "I'd rather be in your shoes right now. I'd rather save by saving rather save by killing." Tokina gave her an embarrassed smile "If that made _any_ sense."

Rin nodded, "It did." She assured me, "Thanks for that, Tokina-chan." Rin gave her a starry smile before picking up a set of earings that she's been eyeing the moment the two girls got there. "Now let's buy something before the shop keeper throws us out."

* * *

"Hey, Fatty!" Anko called over the two tailed bun girl who was walking home in the crowd. She didn't respond.

Wait, that wasn't her name.

Uh...butterfly bitch?

Snake sucker?

Khaki kinky?

No, it was a legit name, Anko. It wasn't the ones she called her from the academy. Orochimaru-sensei told her, dammit!

She followed the girl, thinking long and hard about it with her hand still bleeding from biting her fingers for Hidden Shadow Snake Hands a bit too much. She knew her name was above that her's.

It had a K in it right?

...Wait! There you go!

"Hey, Tokina!" The black haired kunoichi with breasts too big for a nine year old shouted. The girl in question turned around, a little bit surprised before walking to her with a slight head tilt while muttering something; butterflies following her in her wake. "Mitarashi-san?" She questioned. "Did you call?"

"I did." The newly made snake summoner nodded. "Orochimaru-sensei wants to meet with you at TG-6; Training Ground 6, now." Anko informed the girl that always seemed to be wearing a kimono and hakama. "I don't know why, seeing you're stuck with that hunk of a boy-toy, Minato-senpai but whatever. None of _my_ business, amirite?" Anko gave Tokina a lecherous smile, Tokina giving her an innocent smile, completely crushing the meaning of the smile by taking one _large_ step back.

 _Dayum_ , that jonin, though. Despite her young age she was already sneaking lewd shit into her bed behind her parents back. She wondered faintly if Namikaze Minato was still the fastest in...important places.

It would be a shame though.

Or if he just fast...in the best way.

Oooh, good thoughts, Anko. Good thoughts.

The Hyūga girl blinked up at her, repressed a sigh and followed her soundlessly, all the while Anko daydreaming about older men and rope. Oh, lots and lots of rope. The rope would mark on her fair skin though but it would be totally worth it. If only there were more boy-toys in Konoha. She sighed, breaking the genjutsu on TG-6 as usual, the girl doing the same, the beautiful man known as Orochimaru (give me your hair secrets, sensei) nodded at them looking absolutely bored, holding a familiar and giant scroll.

Tokina dipped her head. "Shishou," She greeted her former mentor respectfully, much to the older snake nin's amusement "Tokina-chan, it's been a while, hasn't it?"

Tokina nodded, "It has, shishou. About four months, if I recall correctly."

Orochimaru smirked mischievously, "Now, onto business. I want you two to have a little…competition."

"Competition?" Anko blurted out.

Tokina immediately narrowed her eyes,

Orochimaru nodded. "A better term for it would be...a preparation for what's to come." Anko's sensei smiled ominously.

"It's just a harmless spar. The first one to draw blood wins."

"And what's the prize?" Anko's gleaming eyes smiled to her sensei while Tokina stood, frozen. What was long-sleeves so nervous about? It's only just a spar. Besides, a prize from _the_ Sannin?! How cool was that! She is _so_ going to brag to her teammates, not caring for the future "favouritism" jokes that they were probably going to inflict on her. He just saw her potential when nobody did! She was damn well proud of that.

"It's a surprise."

Anko pouted. That was lame.

"Orochimaru-shishou, I have a dinner to go to—"

"Pussy," Anko coughed.

A twitch from Tokina's lip,

* * *

Tokina figured that Orochimaru would have made the first seals of the Cursed Seal of Heaven. It was obvious, since she _did_ help the man in question to make the seal. In the months of what was officially known as "Tokina's recovery from her kidnapping" was actually the development of the Animal Seal, the foundation for the Cursed Seal of Heaven and maybe even Earth.

But it made no sense for Orochimaru to hide this from Anko, a willing participant of _any_ of his experiments.

Maybe he really _did_ of his little demon-tattoo as a prize.

A prize Tokina wasn't keen on winning.

Which meant she had to bleed in order to lose,

She did _not_ like bleeding.

Nor losing, for that matter,

The master chef of danger noodles probably thought that this little scuffle between her and Anko would pass as afternoon tea.

Tokina debated whether to decline the offer, even if Anko called her a _pussy_. It would likely arouse suspicion, since she was already an active participant to his little journey as a seal master, going so far as to letting him test the animal seal on her.

Tokina narrowed her eyes to Anko, who smirked back,

At least she'll savor the fight while it lasts.

 _I'll show you pussy, you two faced, rock throwing, floozy._

"Begin."

"Byakugan." Tokina muttered,

Anko bit her hand, channelling chakra in her left.

Small but clear chakra signatures that were all too familiar to Tokina appeared inside the sleeves of Anko's trench coat.

Tokina was a bit happy for Anko, finally getting snakes to do her bidding. Misery loves company, after all.

With a smile, Anko whipped out the volatile reptiles.

"Hidden Shadow Snake Hands!"

Tokina dodged to the right, avoiding the heads of the snakes. She grabbed the extended body and pulled, making Anko gasp in surprise.

She always hated when Kakashi did this to her.

It felt so good to be the asshole, sometimes.

She cut the jutsu off, pulling away the snakes from her with a sneer. Tokina smiled cheekily at her, whipping Anko's snakes at her, giving her enough time to ready a defensive Jyūken stance.

Tokina tried to repress the urge to use genjutsu when she did handseals. It would have been _so_ easy to interrupt. Anko's chakra formed in her stomach as it turned hotter and brighter.

She was all too used to this jutsu thanks to two Uchiha teammates.

She blew a fireball bigger than Obito's but _way_ smaller than Soma's.

"Vacuum Palm!"

The vacuum shell made a perfect hole at the center of the flame, immediately dissipating it and throwing Anko off balance. She rebounded, drawing a three kunai in each finger with a glare directed to the Hyūga girl.

Tokina, disobeying _all_ of her instincts, let the kunai whirl next to her, feeling it graze her cheek.

Now that she "lost" the petty Hyūga girl can finally enjoy the fight while Anko didn't realize that she already won.

Mitarashi threw more kunai with a Hidden Shadow Snake Hands, not noticing the red line on Tokina's cheek. Tokina dodged the badly aimed snakes, summoned her butterflies and immediately catching Anko off-guard with a sudden genjutsu.

Tokina showed a vision of one of her snakes summoning itself from its sleeves, and with how Obito described the experience, filled Anko's vision with nothing but red and black. Tokina remembered the feeling of the snake's digestive enzymes and replicated it.

It was safe to say, with Anko's unattractive screaming, she thought the _physically_ harmless illusion was real. After a few more minutes of letting her suffer and her knees quivering, the Hyūga walked up to her and mercifully delivered a single jab to the heart, immediately incapacitating her.

Tokina wiped out some of the blood from her cheek ignoring the sting, turned around and walked to Orochimaru, and held out her red pinky for the snake-sannin to see.

"It seems that Anko gets the gift after all." He shook his head disappointedly. "Shame, I wanted to see your reaction but oh well."

" _This cocky dickhead_ ", Tokina thought with a disbelieving eyebrow.

"Nonetheless, I'll give it the Cursed Seal of Heaven to Anko tomorrow, as you may have suspected. However, you, Tokina; I have something to discuss to you and a few "improvements" I want made to your Animal Seal. Follow me to my lab." Orochimaru went up to Anko's body and picked it up like she weighed nothing.

Tokina sighed, a bit disappointed at being late for dinner before shadowing the Sannin without another word.

* * *

"Obito, are you even listening?" Minato scolded a little bit too crossly at the boy who was nodding off at one of his lectures. Honestly, Minato was _trying_ to be a good teacher but with students like _these_ , it was harder to teach than fight. The Uchiha snapped to attention and gave him an apologetic smile in this cold September day in Training Ground 3.

Poor Obito,

He was just tired since Kakashi absolutely _demolished_ his ass in practice yesterday in _all_ contexes.

Tokina was disappointed. Four months of peace and quiet and now they had to go back into the fray with a C-rank that should be _at least_ an A-rank.

It was nice while it lasted.

At least Obito was happy.

He was this close to ravaging Hokage tower for a mission that did not involve cat chasing (which was relatively easy thanks to Tokina as she was used to cats) fence painting (Sensei's shadow clones helped when he was getting impatient.) dog walking (Obito always knew Kakashi was a _bitch_. He damn well knew.) and weeding.

Nobody liked weeding.

"Yeah! C-Rank!" He said suddenly in attention. Tokina shook her head in fond amusement at her friend's one-tracked mind.

Kakashi isn't earning any brownie points with that mask though.

Obito really wanted to see what was underneath for some reason.

Tokina refused to give Obito a definite answer since, with the Byakugan, she _must_ have seen it. Whenever he inquired, she would always say "It's just a face, what do you expect?" or "Go see it for yourself." It grated on his nerves and bothered him to no end.

Tokina, however, was bothered by something else entirely.

That little _puff_ of hair popping out of his forehead protect annoyed her to no end. She wanted nothing more than to _cut it_. Whenever she tried, Kakashi would back away, slowly, his hand ghosting on his kunai pouch if he tried.

But despite these fashion atrocities, the team was finally starting to feel like a team. They didn't take teasing too seriously anymore; Kakashi sometimes participated in Tokina and Obito's banters, but only if their objective was to tease Minato-sensei, who seemed to always, be the butt of their jokes.

It seemed tying their bodies together and making them run around Konoha proved a more useful bonding experience than she realized.

Obito and Kakashi was still constantly in each other's throats but at least they don't try to _kill each other_ now.

Minato sighed exasperatedly before continuing.

"Anyway, this is going to be your first C-Rank mission, so I expect you guys to try your hardest. It might just be an escort mission—"

There was a guilty shift from Obito who voiced out his irritation just a few hours ago after briefing. At least he didn't voice out his thoughts in front of the Hokage. That would have been a nightmare. He probably would have if it wasn't for Akane teaching him the concept of "tact" and "humility".

Imagine if he did, though. That would be humiliating.

"—but it's your first mission as a team. Now I know some of you think you're better than others-"

There was a low key eye roll from Kakashi. It seems Minato was in an especially _shady_ mood today.

"-but team work is the most valuable thing here in this war. When you're all alone in the middle of enemy territory, there are no other people you want behind your back other than your team."

Tokina's eyes glazed over, remembering just what she did to protect _her_ team.

They refocused immediately. Unnoticed by the other three, a butterfly struggled in its flying, as if lifting something heavy, before resuming its day-to-day tasks.

Hey! Therapy actually worked!

"So I _expect_ you all to work together with no qualms or arguments whatsoever." There was a shared dark look from the two boys. They glared at each other before Obito huffed and looked away, crossing his arms.

It looked like Minato-hime wanted to pull his hair out. There was always a flinch or a cringe when he utters "team" in front of Kakashi and Obito. He was trying to _finally_ use the word "team" in a sentence with Kakashi and Obito without "is not a" in between.

Tokina kind of pitied Kakashi's Minato-hime. The only thing comforting her is that he wouldn't get a wrinkly face in his lifetime.

"We will escort three Kumo-nin to the border to Konoha. They have agreed to give us information about Iwa and its general infrastructure."

It was pretty intense for a first C-Rank. Tokina theorized that it might have been the fact that they were in war. Maybe if they were at peace, it would be qualified as a B-Rank.

War really changes standards.

"Sensei, what's the possibility of this mission being trap? We always had a rocky alliance with Kumo, stemming from their friendship with Iwa." Kakashi diligently asked.

"Pfft," Obito covered his mouth, "Rocky alliance,"

Kakashi deadpanned at the Uchiha who straightened and cleared his throat.

"A-Anyway, why would enemy-nin spend money on the nation they're trying to destroy?" Obito rolled his eyes. "I mean, even if it _was_ a trap, we'd kick their assess _and_ get lunch money to boot." He finished simply.

"The possibility is high but we can't take any chances. We need all the information we can get. If they double-cross us, we capture and _force_ it out of them. If they don't, we escort them to the pre-determined location." Minato answered.

With no more questions, Minato dismissed his team, ordering them—specifically Obito—to not be late and sleep early.

* * *

Minato, Kushina, Kakashi and Tokina waited for Obito in front of the village gate in the first signs of daybreak. Obito wasn't late or anything, the four just got up really early.

Sometimes they forget that he's still a genin.

Not Kakashi, though.

He likes to flaunt that little fact when he has the chance.

"And remember to toothbrush, kill anyone who doesn't respect woman and red heads—Kakashi are you even listening?" Kushina scolded the silver haired boy as she continued her nagging.

"Kushina-san, this isn't our first C-Rank. Both of us are chunin, remember?" Tokina reminded the red head who remained adamant about bringing a whole department store with them, shifting her too-large-for-her-short-stature of a bag that was filled to the brim with miscellaneous items.

"Still!" She glomped us, unfazed by the giant bags that we were carrying. "My babies are growing up so fast."

"Kushina, they're right. Stop babying them." Minato tried to calm the unstoppable force that _is_ Uzumaki Kushina.

Kushina was supposed to make a witty retort—as she always does—before a familiar voice shot through the peace.

Tokina blinked at the Uchiha running towards them _on time_ for once. Minato raised an eyebrow as Kakashi did a low and impressed sound in the back of his throat.

"Well look who's early." Kushina drawled out sarcastically. Minato grinned at the black haired boy who was walking casually. He smugly walked to us near the gate, holding out a chocolate lollipop to Tokina.

Who treated it like he was _supposed_ to give it to her. She still instinctively muttered a "thank you" before removing the packaging and the litter in her sleeve, summoning a snake to gobble it up. The said snake slithered out of her sleeve and began trying to find a nearby trashcan.

Because _no_ to littering.

"The granny I helped the other day gave me a bunch of snacks for the trip!" He announced, proudly holding the jar of the savory treats.

"Good job," Tokina responded with obvious pleasure, enjoying the chocolate loli. Minato got a lemon drop and popped it to his mouth with no shame, groaning a little bit inappropriately thanks to his sweet tooth. Kushina got a blueberry one and smiled. Obito gave a wink to Tokina before handing a strawberry one to Kakashi. He eyed it like there was poison in it.

Tokina chuckled at Obito's little plan.

She gave a nudged to Minato who was reviewing the map as they waited for his go signal to leave. He gave her a questioning look before she silently directed her eyes to Obito and Kakashi. Kushina looked at what we were staring at and grinned expectantly.

He looked confused before his eye quirked in amusement.

He'd want to watch this.

"Well? She said give it to my teammates? Even if one of them is a total dick." Obito moved the lollipop around Kakashi's eyes,

"Obito! Manners!" Kushina couldn't resist scolding the Uchiha. He ignored it, though.

Kakashi took the lollipop hesitantly. Obito gave him an expectant stare. The silver haired chunin unwrapped the lollipop's packaging slowly.

And in a quick motion that would require a Sharingan to see, he ripped the candy out the stick, pulled down his mask and shoved the strawberry ball that used to be a lollipop in his mouth.

But to the audience? It just looked like the lollipop disappeared from his hand. Obito blinked at the plastic stick Kakashi held on to, trying to find where the lollipop had gone.

"What the—" Obito stared at Kakashi's blank eyes staring back at him as he chewed his candy.

"Thank you for your generosity," Kakashi nodded to him.

"NO! YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO SUCK ON IT!"

"Obito, I didn't know you went _that_ way." Kakashi flicked the plastic stick to the Uchiha's forehead, which was deflected by his forehead protector.

Kushina, Minato and Tokina snickered.

"W-What?!" Obito's face turned red. "No! Give it back! You just wasted a perfectly good lollipop!"

"Disgusting," Kakashi sneered.

Obito screamed in frustration.

* * *

After farewells from Kushina and promises to become Hokage by Obito, Team Sandwich plus Minato marched on to meet the Kumo-nin in the meeting place marked in the map. It was suspicious that it was in the middle of the forest, far away from the village. They probably didn't want to be seen with dealings for other nations. It would hurt their credibility. The "team" ran through the woods of Konoha in quick time, the exercises Minato has been punishing them with paying off.

"We're here," Minato announced, "Now all we need to do is wait."

That ushered a groan from Obito.

Which made Kakashi elbow him harshly,

"Hey!"

"Be quiet." Kakashi growled. "Ninjas are supposed to keep a professional mind set. This isn't a game."

Aside from the venomous tone, Kakashi was giving good advice. Tokina remained silent and kept that thought to herself.

"He's right, Obito." Minato agreed. "There are many things we are going to be required to do and most of them, we would probably disagree with." He lectured in a fair tone. "What's important is that we bring the village credibility and honor through our success and actions."

Obito looked unfazed, though. "I know, I know." He waved off. "But I wanna see what _I_ can do! I want to help with the war efforts and waiting around and doing nothing won't help!" He declared too loud for Kakashi's liking.

Kakashi was probably going to say how stupid that was before Minato raised a hand to silence them.

"Someone's coming." Minato announced.

"The clients?" Obito said hopefully.

"I don't know." Minato admitted. He gave Tokina an expectant look. She nodded and activated her Byakugan.

She felt the veins around her eyes bulge as her field of vision and perception increased and sharpened. Obito hopped around, excited for any form of conflict, which was _kinda_ messed up but what can you do? Kakashi just rolled his eyes and prepared his weapons just in case.

"I have a visual." Tokina reported, focusing on the three nin coming their way. "Three ninjas. High chunin to jonin levels, judging by the texture of their chakra. They have Kumo-nin sigils."

Minato nodded "Which one has the missive."

Obito, even though excited, was completely out of his element. He watched as ninjas, _experienced ninjas_ , worked. This wasn't the blundering Minato-sensei who was almost always smiles and giggles while being perpetually tired and probably done with life. The girl in front of him wasn't his best friend Kina-chan, who often cared a bit _too_ much about her face and hair.

These were trained killers.

Tokina narrowed her eyes, literally stripping the ninjas with her eyes, layer by layer. "There are two of them. One in the blonde's pocket and another one with dark skinned, red head. The others have various weapons in their own pockets." She faced Minato "Sensei, this may be a trap."

"I know," Minato nodded, "One must be a decoy then, can you tell which one is it?"

"I'm sorry, I can't." She apologized out of formality. "It's a scroll. Even if I did, I couldn't make out the words. It would look like a bunch of jumbled kanji strewn together."

Minato nodded, "Good work. You can deactivate your Byakugan now."

Tokina nodded, relaxing her eyes now. Kakashi sheathed his half drawn tantō and favored stuffing his hands into his jacket's pocket, holding a kunai just in case.

There was a rustle in the leaves before the clients landed on the branches in front of the wary team. The blonde lady with a big bust—which Tokina doubted was _real_ —gave them a rude, assessing look.

Obito instantly disliked her,

"These are our...escorts?" Blondie McBreastalot questioned. "Konoha must be in a real rut, huh?" She elbowed the dark skinned one who looked exasperated.

Obito immediately took offense,

"Waddaya mean Konoha is in a rut?!"

Tokina face-palmed, second hand embarrassment creeping up on her,

"Konoha is the best village ever, you-mphmph!"

With famed reflexes, Minato covered the Uchiha's mouth his arm. Obito tried to bite it to regain control over his own muscle and to continue the rant that would otherwise _destroy_ Konoha's reputation for serious shinobi forever.

"My apologies," Minato glared at the Uchiha before looking a bit sheepish. "He's very...patriotic."

The sole male Kumo-nin nodded to him with a kind smile. "It's fine. We all need a little bit of patriotism in times of war. Otherwise, nobody would defend our homes, am I right?" He chuckled, forcing Minato to awkwardly chuckle in compliance. Obito was deemed worthy for free speech so he was unclasped. Before he got to string two words together, Kakashi kicked him in the shin and whispered something to him that made him stay quiet.

Resentfully,

"Shall we get going, then? We're burning daylight." Minato offered. Their clients nodded and off we went.

* * *

With their clients in the middle of the formation, Team Minato ran through the Land of Fire. Minato was up front, Kakashi and Obito flanking them while Tokina was positioned in the rear as their support-nin. Most people wouldn't like rear since it was the most boring and the testament to the lack of skill the ninja has but Tokina didn't like being in the rear for different reasons.

A kunai whirled behind the Hyūga girl, almost hitting her.

… _That_ is why she didn't like the rear.

She deftly activated her Byakugan.

 _Thirteen,_

 _Low to high chunin level._

"Enemy attack!" She fended off more kunai and oddly shaped shurikens. "Requesting to switch positions!"

Minato body flickered next to me, throwing his famed three pronged kunai.

"I'll deal with them, switch with Obito." He uttered quickly.

"I'll deal with them, no problem!" Obito leapt to the enemy nin with a large fireball jutsu.

Tokina didn't get to finish her warning "Wait, Obito, stop—"

"Obito!" Minato ran to him.

"That _idiot_!" Tokina cursed,

Tokina couldn't decide. Abandon the mission and proceed to hauling Obito's ass back or continue the mission and let a high level jonin take the wheel?

She had trust issues.

That meant that, even though Minato could easily haul Obito's ass back, then she would _still_ be uneasy.

She just loves her luck sometimes.

"Tokina!" Kakashi called out to her while she was in a daze, her legs on auto-pilot. "Minato-sensei can take care of that moron! You're the sensible one, lets finish the mission!"

Tokina tutted her lips and narrowed her eyes on Kakashi, using this…this… _preschool_ manipulation tactic on her which sadly worked.

She body flickered next to Kakashi who looked like he wanted to _murder_ the Uchiha. It was nice they finally got along on something. The Kumo-nin remained silent but tense as the two continued to escort them. The Byakugan told her that three ninjas managed to slip by Obito and Minato. They didn't have any a village sigil on them so she couldn't tell who they were fighting for but every bell in Tokina's head rang " _defects!"_

Tokina groaned, promising to show Obito hell after.

"Three enemy nins are preparing to intercept us." She informed Kakashi,

"Do you have any jutsu that can slow them down?" Silver-locks questioned, preparing a kunai.

Tokina nodded, bit her finger and did a clap hand seal. She summoned a large kaleidoscope of butterflies, making them swarm on the offending enemy nins and encasing them with their wings and genjutsu.

Maybe she would put Obito in genjutsu torture when he comes back? Is that too extreme?

"Successfully encased in genjutsu." She repeated the words Akinosuke whispered in her ear through his butterfly mouthpiece. Tokina mentally slapped herself, forgetting to plant butterfly spies to Minato and Obito. The two continued running to the bridge in full speed. They continued for what seemed like hours before they reached clear plains and grasslands. The Kumo-nin looked undisturbed but the younger nins needed a break.

Which they didn't get,

Kakashi dodged a kunai, suddenly thrown at him by the blonde.

Tokina cursed,

" _This just keeps getting better and better_ ,"

"Tsk," the blonde McFaketits clicked her tongue. "I thought you'd be too exhausted to dodge."

…A shallow, gradeschool plan which probably would have worked if it wasn't for the fact that the two were already weary as is.

"Whatever," she smiled sinisterly. "We'll amend it." The Kumo-nin whom the two have been protecting drew their weapons on them. The older man readied a jutsu that covered both of his arms with lightning, the blondie had her kunais ready and the dark skinned woman drew a katana from her back. Kakashi narrowed his eyes and drew his tantō while Tokina readied a defensive Jyūken stance.

Tokina took the time to analyze their opponents all the while cursing the Uchiha's stupidity.

"The blonde one," Tokina whispered since she didn't bother learning their names. "No hidden weapon I could see. Low chunin chakra reserves but the quality says jonin. Water nature." She fed whatever information she could in a hushed whisper, their backs towards each other.

Kakashi nodded, which she could see thanks to her eyes "How about the one with the katana?"

"Wind natured, low chakra reserves for a jonin."

Kakashi clicked his tongue "Figures,"

"Other than kunai and shuriken, nothing. The last guy has low jonin reserves and his muscles are very well defined." She focused her Byakugan. "Probably has high endurance but I that should be a given."

"I'll take the kenjutsu specialist. Trap the big guy and you can have the blonde." He ordered.

"Okay, I'll make the first move." Tokina whispered,

She quickly bit her thumb and slammed it on the ground,

"Summoning: Sudden Snake Glare Spell!"

The three tensed before snapping into attention at the big guy with large boas and anacondas wrapping him in lightning speed, tightening their grip on him. The snakes seemed unbothered by the fact that they were being electrocuted by him. The kenjutsu specialist had the bright idea to try and slash the snakes, earning a kunai directed to her courtesy of Kakashi. Steel met steel as Tokina readied a Snake Stance while the no-tits raised an eyebrow and put one hand on her hip.

"I'm not impressed."

Tokina shrugged.

"You aren't supposed to be." She muttered to herself as a large boa crept inside her sleve. Tokina readied her left palm and, with a quick thrust, blew the woman away with the sheer force of the vacuum shell. She did the common mistake in defending with her arms crossed in front of her face, making it an easy target for the large boa that was using the air to quickly glide to her.

Much to her credit, she regained her footing and deflected the incoming volley of snakes. She cut them with her kunai.

Tokina, surprisingly, felt the world shift and turn.

Oh, no wonder her chakra was oddly stable.

She broke through the amateurish genjutsu with ease.

Tokina raised an eyebrow at the smug looking blonde.

"Oh? Too rich for your blood?" She smiled at me.

Tokina rolled her eyes,

She literally puts herself in genjutsu in her _free time_. This is some novice-class-shit.

She did a few handseals before the sunlight seemingly invaded her vision.

Tokina narrowed her eyes and dispelled the genjutsu, dodging the kunai that was supposed to be disguised by the light. The annoyed Hyūga did a clap handseal, her Byakugan telling her that the big guy was limp while her snakes continued to entrap him. Kakashi was doing a pretty good job keeping her distracted. Tokina prompted to focus on her fight, then. She slammed her palm to the ground; the chick had the brilliant idea to throw that kunai she was twirling around her finger at me.

Her eyes widened when the Hyūga girl dissolved into butterflies. The insects swirled her. Becky McBitchface rolled her eyes, undisturbed by the butterflies.

"Pretty, but it's obvious. Gejutsu is all about being subtle, kiddo." She said cockily. "Not pretty effects." She attempted to break through the genjutsu, causing chaos in the kaleidoscope. There were a million screams heard as Tokina tugged on Caren McCocksucker's memories via butterflies. The usual wave of emotions flooded the Hyūga girl.

"What the hell." The blonde muttered before releasing her chakra again. The screams became louder as the swirling butterflies became faster. She released her chakra again and again but the effect was deafening screaming and voices that she should have never heard to begin with. They were familiar to her. Oh so painfully familiar, but even though her heart was telling her "yes" her mind said "no".

They were dead, after all.

It shook her to the core.

"Ayano-chan." A ghastly male voice called out from the kaleidoscope. "I love you, Ayano-chan."

"S-Shinji?" Her voice quaked. Her lips tremble before hardening. Her face contorted into an ugly sneer. "You think this is funny, kid?! Mess with my memories, huh?! I'll kill you!"

Using the Byakugan, Tokina saw how the dark skinned one managed to push Kakashi away before shouting "Ayano! It's just a genjutsu!" She called out to her comrade; Kakashi shut her mouth by giving her a few slashes from his blade.

"Y-yeah! I know that!" She snapped. She released her chakra again.

"Ayano-chan..." The voice manifested a hand from the very butterflies that were surrounding her. "Stay with me." His voice said hypnotically.

"Tsk," she released her chakra again.

A lean, dark skinned young man stepped into the tornado of butterflies. He gave the blonde the charismatic smirk she was so used to when they went out to missions together. The girl visibly paled, pinching herself and biting her lip enough to draw blood. She grunted and brought a kunai out and made a shallow cut to her arm.

The butterflies shook. The man made advances on the blonde.

"Ayano-chan...come on. We can go eat teriyaki like we did in the old days." He begged the girl. "We can go get wasted without thinking of the war. We can be together again. Just come with me."

The blonde looked torn.

"Please..:" she said in a low, defeated voice. Her sneer broke as her body slumped visibly, her hands shook and dropped the kunai she used to cut herself. "Please stop..."

"Ayano!" Her dark skinned friend called out before screaming in agony, the sound of metal cutting flesh was heard before the body hit the grass.

Tokina immediately dropped the genjutsu, summoning a salvo of snakes, ravaging her throat. If the snakes didn't kill her, the poison did.

"Took you long enough," Kakashi body flickered next to Tokina. In one swift motion, he sprayed the blood from his tantō to the ground. She blinked and deactivated her Byakugan, a bit annoyed that World of Butterflies was such a headache to use.

Literally,

"Sorry," she rubbed her temples. "That was my first genjutsu battle."

He let out an acknowledging sound.

"Are you going to be alright?" He asked with a twinge of concern. Probably only asked because of common formalities but whatever.

"Yeah, just a slight headache." She nodded, resuming her job in the team as support. "Are you hurt?"

He scoffed. "She was formidable but nothing I can't handle."

Tokina smiled at him. "As expected."

He looked slightly taken aback at her praise, which Tokina took in mild offense.

"I still want a check, though." She fell back to her responsibilities. "Cooperate unless you want me to use my Byakugan to see through your clothes."

"I'm clean. I'm not like _that_ idiot that would hide my injuries." He rolled his eyes.

Kakashi's ears twitched. He reached for his tantō. "Stand back, I think someone's coming."

She heeded his words and took one step back and readied a Jyūken stance. She activated her Byakugan before easing.

"It's just Obito and Minato-sensei." She assured the tense chunin. He eased up and sheathed of his tantō while Tokina masked her seeping bloodlust, trying _not_ to run to Obito and giving him a piece of her mind. Tokina smiled with indifferent eyes while Kakashi slouched.

"YOU GUYS! YOU SHOULD HAVE SEEN US!" Obito yelled with an exasperated Minato, rubbing the back of his neck.

Tokina smiled at the two boys.

Minato casually waved at the two prodigies.

Before giving the gruesome scene a once over.

His face turned to ice. The aura around him did a complete flip over. Obito stopped his fanfare abruptly, and gulping while he took in the scene as well. A blonde, bleeding from her open neck, drooling, on one side, A dark skinned woman with cuts around her body, bleeding out on the other and a man between Tokina and Kakashi unconscious and coiled by snakes.

"Report," Mission-sensei ordered, making the two chunin straighten their posture. "Now,"

* * *

Kakashi took the lead and reported for Tokina while she tended to Obito's many shallow cuts that he hid with a lot of effort. " _Jesus, the Uchiha pride is plain silly! Oh, I'm bleeding enough that I could faint and die? Well hey, I need to maintain the reputation of being such a chick magnet and alpha-male!"_ Tokina thought with a straight face.

She healed a nasty cut on his chest while Obito spouted excuses and his story which Tokina did not listen to. When he was done, she tightened the bandage around his chest just a little bit too tight.

"Ow! What was that for?!"

"What you did was stupid." Tokina did her Hyūga deadpan that she was working on. His angry glare turned annoyed.

"Yeah, yeah, don't waste your breath. Minato-sensei promised me to put me through the ringer when we get back." He waved off like it was all okay.

Obito paled, immediately regretting his words by how Tokina's face morphed into anger, her Byakugan activating by its own.

"Well I'm not Minato-sensei, am I?" She sneered at the Uchiha who gulped. "What were you thinking?! You could have been killed or worse, captured! Thirteen against a _genin_ in his _first C-rank_! What were you expecting?!" The angry Hyūga jabbed her finger against the wound she just healed "This isn't a game of tag-with-knives, Obito!"

"I just wanted to prove to you guys that I wasn't dead weight around the team." He muttered, looking sorry for himself.

"Obito if you died…" Tokina started, tears forming around her eyes. Obito immediately wanted to spout apologies but found that his throat had this huge lump lodged there.

The lump was called "guilt".

Tokina shook away the tears, her eyes relaxing.

"Obito, don't you ever think that your dead weight." She scolded. "Dead weight is a dead ninja, and a dead ninja is a stupid ninja. A Hokage's job is to _not_ be stupid."

He bit his lip while she bandaged the cuts he had in his arms. He let out an awkward chuckle. "If I knew you were this scary in the field, Veggie-chan, maybe you should be the one that should have stopped me from charging in..."

Tokina gave him a stern, unamused look.

"I'm sorry," he said softly and quickly. "It won't happen again."

She tightened the bandages around his arm enough to make him wince. "Make sure it doesn't," She walked away from the defeated looking Uchiha in favor of helping Kakashi with the report.

* * *

Obito lied on the grass tiredly.

Why was everyone on his case? He handled the situation pretty well! All his shurikens hit, his taijutsu was solid and he gave some other nins third degree burns with minor injuries! If anything, his team should be proud of him! Sure, he was...overwhelmed for a small amount of time and knew that he would be in deep trouble if it wasn't for Minato-sensei but he was doing fine nonetheless!

Even though he froze up when he realized he killed someone; sensei needing to slap him. However, he was fighting for the village! That made it all justifiable!

…right?

He shook his head and refused to debate the morality of killing someone in a war.

He couldn't decide which one was scarier, being surrounded by enemy nin, Rin's face of disappointment that was directed to him or Tokina's "angry" face which, he was surprised to realize, he never saw on her before. She only got irritated, never mad.

He groaned and lifted his goggles, wiping his tired eyes with the bandages around his arms.

"I messed up," he sighed.

"It's a good thing you know, idiot." A familiar voice that always irritated him appeared beside him. He lifted his arm and glared at the Hatake with the Uchiha sneer that he's been working on.

Great,

Just his luck,

"What the hell are you doing here, bastard. I don't need your sermons."

Bakashi snorted. "As if I would waste my breath; goes into one ear exits on the other. I don't even know why snake-breath puts up with you." He began walking to the direction of his tent.

Obito growled.

He didn't need this.

* * *

"Tokina-chan, can I talk to you for a second?" Minato called when the boys were sleeping. She blinked at him, got up from her sleeping bag that Kushina stored in a storage scroll and went up to the teacher. Minato decided to rest up for the night since Team Sandwich was all out of energy, even if Konoha was just a few kilometres away.

They had nothing to report since the "missives" where just blank pieces of paper. They were tired, disappointed and irritated.

She walked over a snoring Obito and a peaceful looking Kakashi to a nearby tree which Minato perched himself on for his first watch.

"Yes, sensei?" She said in a hushed whisper, so she wouldn't disturb the boys. He jumped down and gave me a serious look. "You should really be easier on Obito."

 _You have got to be kidding me._

Minato raised his hands up in defense, Tokina's thoughts mirroring her face.

"He should be more careful and understanding, I agree but don't you think that showing incentive to protect the clients and his team deserves some praise?" He argued.

Tokina did _not_ want to talk about this.

Obito was damn well lucky that she had no plans on mentioning this to Rin.

Maybe she _will_ on how this conversation with Minato goes.

"It would if he had the ability to defend himself from thirteen medium-ranked chunin which he does not possess." She retorted coldly which Minato winced. "Obito doesn't even have the Sharingan yet and this is our first mission. He has no experience to base on his fights aside from sparring that he _knows_ he won't die from."

"Sparring _could_ amount to some gruesome scars but that was it. Scars, burns and cuts. Despite what you say, you would stop the fight in a heartbeat if we aimed to kill each other. I, of all people, should know that."

She interrupted him before he even opened his mouth. It might have come out rude but she did not want to talk about Obito. Her head hurt from the genjutsu and worrying about Obito. "No, sensei, before you ask, I don't think that charging in to thirteen or more nins is good battle experience." She deadpanned which he slumped.

"But he survived, didn't he?" He offered weakly.

She raised an eyebrow.

"Look, I don't agree to his actions but what I'm saying is that you need to give him a break. It is his first mission, after all."

She gave him a tight lipped smile, repressing the urge to say how contradictory he was. He dismissed the sleepy girl after that, but not before waking Kakashi up to probably give him a real talk session as well. She buried herself in the covers, staring at the stars and the full-moon, immediately lost in thought.

 _If I was the old me, I probably wouldn't have been so worried over him and maybe a bit glad, knowing that the possibility of conflict would be over in his early death. Look at me, now. Not caring if the world survived or what, just making sure Obito, Rin and my blood family stayed alive._

 _How times change._

* * *

They came back to the village by lunch time; the guy Minato and Tokina interrogated in tow and shipped off to the magical world that is T&I.

Poor guy,

At least he isn't in Kiri's T&I.

Minato promised to report in for his students, much to their pleasure and Kakashi's indifference. They went their separate ways after that.

Tokina knocked on the door to their "house" to let them know she wasn't some stranger since a lot of Hyūgas wander in _without_ knocking.

"Mom, Kuma-kun, I'm back." She called out. There was shuffling and footsteps before the door slid open.

"Welcome back, Tokina-chan. That was a fast mission." Akane greeted her with a smile, which she returned. It was literally two days and one night, so calling it fast was an understatement. Maybe the three who tried to kill her and Kakashi should have lured them away from Konoha to make us travel weary as well but whatever, blessings come in all sorts of shapes, like bumbling enemies with a tragic past, for one. She let Tokina in after leaving her dirty shoes near the front door.

"There was a complication in the mission, resulting in an early dismissal." She recited, knowing that the "C" is going to get a rank boost. She looked around the room and silenced herself. Tokina activated her Byakugan and did a detailed sweep of the house.

"Where's—"

"Tokuma-kun? He is out in the playgrounds with his friends." Akane called out from the kitchen.

She was just a tiny bit jealous that he had friends that age. Her parents were busy fattening her up to activate her Byakugan early as a first born of a new Hyūga Branch family. It was so stupid, that tradition. At least it gave the prodigy leverage in her studies and training, resulting in an early graduation.

"Also, are you going to come to Hamuru's inauguration ceremony?" Tokina's mom called out, "It seems the Hokage trusts the Yuki Clan enough to give them their own leader, now. I am happy for them."

Tokina smirked, always happy to go to the Yuki Clan compound. They were so nice, and the children weren't at all rambunctious brats but really formal yet funny people she could easily relate to. "Sure, mom, I'll be there. Does that mean you're going to come home more often?"

If she could guess—and she was probably right—Tokina suspected that her mother was frowning by the tone of her voice. "No, I am to immediately return to the hospital and resume my active role there."

Tokina sighed and changed her clothes to prepare for her therapy session with Taizo.

Back to normal life.

* * *

AN.

 **DON'T GET USED TO ME DOUBLE POSTING EXTRA LONG CHAPTERS!**

It seems, like the other characters from Boruto, he's giving me some sort of inspiration to go by. Also, I haven't reread my fanfic yet since I can't get past chapter 1 without the urge to:

1.) Throw my phone

2.) Scream

3.) Cringe

4.) Throw my phone and scream while cringing

So yes! Humorous reviews like Mr."Please update now" is appreciated because, holy shit, that made me giggle and probably made me edit this chapter out of sheer pettiness.

Editing doesn't seem like a chore anymore so that's something :D Now if I can only get back into actually _writing_ this fic instead of my many unposted ones.

Anyway, enjoy life :)

PS. **I SWEAR TO GOD IF YOU GET USED TO THIS THEN YOUR ONLY SETTING YOURSELF UP FOR DISAPPOINTMENT**


	32. Chapter 32: Missions and Punishments 2

AN.

OH SHIT. WHO IS THIS BITCH, FULFILLING HIS PROMISES FOR ONCE?!

3/3

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Naruto AND the lyrics to the song The Greatest Show

WARNINGS: EDITING MISTAKES MAYBE.

* * *

"Oh? Is that so? That's good, that's good, you're on the road to recovery," Tokina's clinical psychologist nodded in approval, tapping his clipboard. She smiled at him, letting herself relax in the sofa that he bought with his own money after she complained about it for the umpteenth time. Taizo called it complaining, Tokina called it a _friendly suggestion_. She stroked one of his cats, a cute orange tabby that she dubbed "Whiskers", scratching it behind its ear. "Honestly, snake-chan, I don't even know why I still put up with you. This is so inappropriate." Taizo complained, sighing.

Tokina wagged an amused finger at him, "Well, the Hokage doesn't seem to care. Besides, your cats are probably my only incentive to see your ugly mug."

Taizo smacked her head with his clipboard, "Behave, you little—"

"Insulting and harming your patients? What kind of doctor are you, furball?" Tokina chuckled, rubbing the part of her head Taizo hit. It was all in good nature.

When she learned that Taizo traded his forehead protector for a doctor's license during her time of… _absence_ …she pulled every heartstring Hiruzen had just so she could have him as a therapist. Using the skills of manipulation that Orochimaru taught to her, it was fairly easy to crack Hiruzen's battle-hardened heart. After a few sessions, Taizo and Tokina snuck out to go find Soma and have a little reunion that went well.

They liked the separate paths they walked in and none of them suggested to reform Team Soma.

The retired cat-nin smirked at her, "Whatever you say, snake-chan. I get paid by the hour so you can do whatever the hell you want." He wrote something on his clipboard before shooing Tokina away. Tokina scratched behind Whiskers' ear and gently pushed the cat off. She bid her therapist goodbye before walking out of the room.

"Oh, and Tokina?" Taizo stopped the Hyūga before she could open the room, "I'm speaking to you as a friend and not your doctor—which I shouldn't have to because I'm breaking every rule in the book but whatever—"

Tokina rolled her eyes "What is it Taizo?"

"Right," He regained his train of thought, "You should ease up on this Obito kid. He's only doing what he thinks is right."

 _Which is exactly how he gets killed in the first place,_

Tokina could have crushed the doorknob if it wasn't for her self-restraint. She didn't say another word, opening the door gently and closing it with the same force. Taizo sighed at his old-friend's hard headedness.

* * *

Obito arrived at the training grounds at his usual time.

Late,

Kakashi didn't even bother to give him the time of day while Minato just sighed. He looked around for his best friend who was still pissed off at him. It's been a day after their first C-rank. Obito already apologized profusely but it seemed that wasn't enough to rouse forgiveness off of the Hyūga.

"Hey, where's Kina-chan?" He asked around his team, Kakashi continued to ignore him while Minato looked up thoughtfully. "I believe she's with her mother. Apparently there's something going on the Yuki Compound and the Hyūgas have been invited to come over."

"Ah, Akane-san has been talking about that for some time, now that I think about it." Obito scratched his head and laughed it off. "I guess I just wasn't paying enough attention."

"I thought you were a good listener." Minato nudged his student. "You squat around her house and don't even listen to Tokina-chan's mom? How disgraceful."

"Sh-shut up!" a flushed Obito pointed at Minato accusingly "You say that but you can barely string three sentences together when you're with Kushina-san, much less give her your ear!"

Before Minato could argue with his own student, Kakashi interrupted them with a harsh sigh and steered the subject to a more _mature_ one. This is what he gets for relying on Tokina's silencing genjutsu so much. "The Yuki Clan, huh? Isn't there a group that wants them gone?"

Obito nodded, "Y-yeah, it was all around the papers. They think that they're just some spies that are taking advantage of the Hyūgas' hospitality." The Uchiha felt a grin creep around his face before nudging Kakashi's arm with his elbow. "Oh? Is the Silver-Haired Ice King finally growing a heart?"

"Maybe _you_ should grow a brain first," Kakashi gave Obito the most frigid of side-glares. The two had another stare-off before Minato cleared his throat to gain their attention and stop a disaster from happening.

"Without Tokina-chan, we aren't eligible to take any missions for now." Minato smirked at how Obito practically deflated. "But I wasn't planning on doing that, anyway. Since your first C-rank mission was a success; I'm going to treat you guys to a fancy restaurant!"

Before Obito had a chance to "whoop", Kakashi raised his brow. "How is that C-rank a success? It was a trap to kill you, sensei."

"But it didn't kill me! And that's all that matters!"

Kakashi sighed at the impetuousness of his beloved teacher. He couldn't tell whether Obito _or_ Kushina was corrupting him.

It was probably a combined effort.

"Yeah! Let's go!"

* * *

"Tokina-chan, are you ready yet?" Her mom called from the living room. Akane huffed at how vain her daughter could be sometimes. She usually took an hour in a good day inside their bathroom. Normally, Akane didn't mind since her daughter was smarter than to just assume that Akane wouldn't use the bathroom so the young Hyūga had to schedule her facial routine every morning and adhere to a strict time.

But for some reason, she was taking too long.

Akane was tempted to use her Byakugan before Tokuma tugged on her long sleeves. "Mom, why is onee-chan taking too long?"

She was about to answer her child's answer via her Byakugan before Tokina confirmed that she was almost done with a distracted noise. Akane shook her head, sadly realizing that she probably inherited her meticulous trait from her _after_ she creased out Tokuma's formal yukata.

Little did the pair know, the reason was far from being vain.

Tokina clutched the edge of the sink, muddling the gasps of her breath and throwing all her pain into a butterfly to subdue it but alas, it was unbearable.

It felt like her skull was being crushed, her legs were being grinded, her eyes being burned.

She slowly kneeled on the bathroom floor, covering her mouth to mask her panting from her family, summoning more butterflies to apply a comfort genjutsu on herself. Slowly, the bathroom was filled with the insects, trying to calm their summoner.

"Contract..."

 _Contract?!_

The pain disappeared as quickly as the word appeared in her head. Tokina slumped and sat down on the cold tiles, catching her breath. Her body felt like it had been through the wringer. She didn't know what the hell happened but she sure will investigate after her affairs.

What the hell did Orochimaru do to her?

Was it _even_ Orochimaru?

She shook her head, dusted off her very expensive rental kimono and opened the bathroom door not before wiping the sweat from her forehead with a napkin.

"Sorry! I had to use the bathroom." She lied through her teeth with an apologetic smile. "It would be embarrassing to pee in the middle of the inauguration ceremony!"

Tokuma nodded wisely, "Very embarrassing. That's why I peed while taking a shower!"

Akane repressed the urge to smack the one and only tactless, unhygienic Hyūga Tokuma at the back of his head. Tokuma rolled her eyes at her little brother's antics. "Okay, Kuma-kun. We'll need to talk to Obito and what he's been teaching you."

"Hey!"

* * *

"Boy am I stuffed!" Obito let out a totally inappropriate moan that made some housewives glare at him as they walked. "We need to go there again someday, this time with Kina-chan and Kushina-san."

"Easy for you to say," Minato sulked, clutching his too-light-for-comfort froggy wallet that Jiraiya had given him when he signed the toad contract. "I thought you would have shown more self-restraint. I didn't expect you to order half of the menu!"

"Hey! It was your treat, sensei!" Obito threw the accusation back to Minato "You of all people should know, sensei, that growing boys need their food!"

Minato scoffed before flaring at Kakashi, who looked absolutely smug. "What's your excuse?"

Kakashi, who also ordered half of the menu to not lose to Obito, shrugged and gave him a blasé look "What do you mean, sensei?"

Minato hung his head low "So much for that date with Kushina." He sighed "I was so looking forward to it."

Obito chuckled at his sensei's suffering, a trait he was slowly inheriting out of sheer spite thanks to that same _kind-hearted_ sensei enjoying their weekly torture—he meant training—sessions. Before he could poke his sensei's ego any further, a man bumped hid shoulder, causing him to stumble and fall.

"H-hey!" Obito glared at the dickhead that didn't even have the courtesy to apologize. The man did stumble but didn't even give Obito a second glance. The man regained his balance and continued running. Something swiped his cheek that he only felt around his hand, usually to be tied by a kunai or shuriken.

Was that...sealing paper? The Uchiha tried catching the man but he was too fast, and after a matter of few seconds, he was lost in the crowd.

Huh, that should be normal. They were in war after all so people with materials that run around in the market place are a common occurrence around this time of month. Hell, he _is_ one of those errand boys thanks to many tedious D-rank missions.

...but something didn't sit right in his stomach.

Obito stood up; Minato put his hand on the Uchiha's hair that he couldn't maintain for his life. "Honestly, some people these days." He ruffled it "Are you okay, Obito?"

When the Uchiha didn't respond, Minato instead looked onwards at the direction his student was staring at.

"Tsk, what's the hold up this time?" Kakashi huffed behind Obito.

Obito clutched his hand into a fist before bolting after the man without further explanation. "Hey! Wait up!"

"Oi! Obito! Wait!" Minato called out,

Kakashi clicked his tongue and cursed before following suite.

The two higher ranked shinobi easily caught up. "Obito, calm down, he just pushed you!" Minato tried to negotiate while dodging the crowd with ease.

"It's not that!" Obito rushed out, "I just have a bad feeling about that man, alright?" Obito put more chakra behind his leaps and went to the roofs. Minato sighed and Kakashi questioned why he was even following that idiot before jumping next to him.

"Where could he be..." Obito strained his eyes.

Minato tapped the Uchiha's shoulder, successfully getting his attention. Minato eyed Obito warily before letting out a tired sigh. "If I get in trouble, this is on your head, okay?" Minato scratched the back of his neck with a sheepish smile. "I'm kinda broke thanks to you guys so I need all the missions we can get."

Obito nodded, "Of course!"

"This is _so_ going to look bad in my record." Minato grumbled before pointing towards the Yuki Compound "I sense him there,"

Obito paused, "Amazing, sensei! You can sense people you only just met?"

Minato shook his head, "Not really, but..." He focused in the chakra that the blonde jonin could compare to a fire lit up with gasoline that had a strong intent in burning everything to the ground. "Let's just say that man has an interesting chakra signature and leave it at that."

* * *

The Yuki compound was crowded with the Yuki Clan and select members of the Hyūga Clan, all wearing formal wear as they listened to the speech of the newly inaugurated Yuki Clan head. It signified Konoha formally welcoming them in her arms, and acknowledging them as one of her children and not a refugee. The Yuki Clan has already given all information they could give regarding Kiri and the trained shinobi among them have begun reinstating themselves.

One of the select few is Hyūga Akane and her children Hyūga Tokina and Hyūga Tokuma, quietly listening to the speech.

Konoha needed all the troops they can get. With Kiri joining forces with Iwa and Kumo's involvement in trying to kill one of their most promising teams, it seemed like the whole shinobi world was against them.

However, a trait often shared among shinobi is paranoia. Paranoia that held suspicion, and it times like these, suspicion turned into distrust and quickly violence.

So it was expected that there were certain groups of people in Konoha that didn't appreciate a whole new clan appearing in their midst, especially one from an enemy village.

Hiro, the leader of the anti-Yuki movement, was prepared to risk his life to prevent these new squatters into Konoha's midst.

His troops surrounded the Yuki Compound, ready to bring the infrastructure down with paper bombs and other forms of explosives.

Sadly, there were Hyūgas inside the building, a faithful clan that served Konoha well but what were a few casualities caught in the fire compared to their entire village freezing over. The Hyūga Clan provided for the Yuki Clan. They were sympathizers. They were a necessary casualty.

"The Hokage is a fool." Hiro clutched the paper bomb, in front of the compound that seemed to be emanating cold air within it. He tapped his earpiece, activating it.

No turning back,

"Are you ready to ensure that our beloved village will be safe from these vermin?"

"Yes, Hiro-san!" A chorus of answers resounded through his earpiece. He smirked, tying the paper bomb to the kunai. By blasting five specific parts of the giant compound, the whole building will come crashing down, crushing the Yuki if they even managed to survive five powerful blasts. And if that hadn't killed them, the others will make sure to.

"On my mark,"

Hiro readied his kunai,

"three…"

He aimed, steadying his hand.

"two…"

He pulled back his arm,

"o—"

Instead of the kunai connecting to the wooden post, he felt a first connect to his face.

"STOP RIGHT THERE!" A high pitched voice sounded right after he punched him square in the jaw.

The impact caused him to fall down the roof. Before he lost consciousness, he heard the voices of his team. "H-Hiro-san? Everyone! Fire-"

He heard a stream of curses and other sounds of confrontation before he fainted.

* * *

Obito immediately ran inside the Yuki Compound, having full faith that the other two would take care of the outside. The usually quiet and cold compound was unusually hot and noisy; fists meeting fists, whirls of metal and ice breaking resounding throughout the compound. Turning to a hallway, he was greeted with a kunai between his eyes that was only inches from his forehead. The Yuki Clan member (or what he assumed is a Yuki Clan member, judging by how the kunai had a frozen tip) sneered at Obito. "Who are you?"

"Never mind that! Where is Kina-chan?!" Obito demanded, the Yuki not appreciating his tone in the slightest.

"I don't know a " _Kina_ "." A high pitched scream was heard at the distance. The man flinched and glared at Obito, sheathing his kunai.  
"Leave now before run out of patience, kid." The brunette sneered at him, turning around and running to the scream.

Obito, apparently deaf, followed the man.

"Ice Release: Ten Thousand Ice Petals!"

The air cooled. Obito spotted the man jumping away from the end of the hallway, a handseal ready. His breath turned into frozen vapor as the temperature dropped rapidly, the walls turning to ice as a gust of fully wind whirled, with ice shards accompanying them. What Obito guessed was the intruder screamed as he was impaled by the multitude of ice shards.

"Nami, are you alright?" The man ran to the now unconscious girl, who was bleeding profusely. Obito ran to him, the man glaring and readied another set of handseals.

"Hey! Old-man, I have a first-aid kit right here. Just let me help." Obito urged the not-so-old-man who was now in a defensive stance.

"And how will I know you actually do want to help?"

Obito tutted at the man's pride. He was about to raise a few logical points AKA her probably going to die if he continued his pointless arguing before he caught a familiar pair of eyes.

"Kuma-kun?!" Obito called the scared looking Hyūga toddler. He had cuts and bruises all over his face and looked genuinely terrified.

"O-obito-san!" The toddler ran to him, ignoring the warnings of the Yuki Clan member that seemed to be close with him. "Tokuma-san! Wait" the man tries to stop him. Tokuma shrugged the man's arm off before the kid wrapped his arms around Obito's waist.

"O-obito-san! You gotta help! O-onee-chan!" He rushed out.

"Woah! Woah! Tokuma-kun calm down." Obito comforted the obviously distressed child. He suddenly thanked all the times they had to babysit, even if Tokina forced them to sleep using her genjutsu. "Where's your sister at?"

"Sh-she's at the courtyard, fending off the bad guys!" The child wailed. "They killed Seto-san an-and Yumi-chan!" He shook his head, as if knowing that he was rambling. "Go! Please!"

"Don't worry, Kuma-kun!" He gave a reassuring grin to the child. "I'll help your sister. Stay with this man and don't go anywhere without him, okay?" Obito motioned to the Yuki who was bandaging the woman with what little he had. Obito threw his first-aid pack at him, which the man caught. Obito grinned down on Tokuma and gently pushed him to the Yuki Clan member.

"Take care of him...?"

"Kazuhito," he supplied, "I'll take care of Tokuma. Go."

Obito nodded and fought through to the courtyard.

He dodged a body that crashed through the wall. Obito peeked through the hole.

Tokina was surrounded with the terrorists with even more bodies surrounding her. There were butterflies fluttering around the field while two giant sharp-scaled snakes protruded from her back. He knew that the snakes came from her back since her normally well-kept kimono was torn at her back, what's left of the clothing was kept by her obi. Obito's eyes widened at the scales that covered Tokina's cheeks.

That's new.

She dodged a kunai to her face while the snake in her left struck at the terrorist, crushing his head with its jaws while Tokina continued striking them with her fingers, incapacitating them with her Jyūken. She ducked another blow to her head and rolled away from an array of kunai before retaliating with Hidden Shadow Snake Hands, catching the man that threw the kunai and using the snakes to slam him against multiple people.

Obito shook his head to snap himself out of his revere.

He was here to help, not watch.

"Kina-chan!" Obito called out,

She immediately turned to him, surprise filling out her already semi-scale filled face before narrowing her eyes and throwing a senbon at him. Obito flinched, expecting anything _except_ that. The howl of pain that deafened him reminded him that, "oh yeah, this is a battlefield and that there might be tons of people sneaking behind my back." He turned around, seeing some no-named terrorist clutch his eye in pain. He drew his kunai and stabbed him in his nearest vital and shuddered at the "squelch" it made. After that little scene, he jumped to Tokina.

"What happened?" He asked a little worried for his blood-soaked friend. "And where's Akane-san."

Tokina let out a hitched sigh. "An anti-Yuki-clan group that forgot the Hyūgas supported the Yuki thought it would be a good time to attack with both clans in one area." She frowned, as if the attack only bringing her mild annoyance. She shook her head. "Never mind, the Hyūgas and the Yukis are taking care of it. Have you seen Tokuma?" She asked urgently, grabbing Obito by the shoulders. He stared at his best-friend's Byakugan, expecting a flared lavender iris only to be greeted with a slit iris of the same color.

That must be a neat party trick.

"I let him stay behind with a Yuki Clan member named Kazuhito." Obito hoped that was the right answer. Tokina sighed in relief, muttering gibberish that sounded like " _Teynk Gawd_ " but he couldn't tell. Maybe it was just the screaming and groaning in the background. Obito raised an eyebrow. "Couldn't you use your Byakugan to locate him?"

Tokina pressed her lips together and looked away, "My eyes have been aching a lot and I don't know why. I can only see through what's in front of me instead of the usual one kilometer."

"Anyway, you should go with Tokuma, Obito. You'll be much safer there." She turned around and almost left if it wasn't for the said Uchiha grabbing her wrist with an annoyed and _very_ offended huff.

"If you didn't notice, Kina-chan, and I'm pretty sure you did with those eyes of yours, I'm also a ninja." He glared at Tokina's side-eye "I passed the test and everything. I trained with you and Bakashi. I took on twelve ninjas! If you think I'm letting you go butterflies a-blazing you got another thing coming."

Tokina let a sound of frustration from the back of her throat, "Why are you so difficult?" She tutted, "This isn't even your fight, and besides, why are you even here?"

"I'm going to be Hokage, and it's the Hokage's job to help people, whether they like it or not!" Obito pressed on, much to Tokina's visible annoyance.

And the snakes on her back striking and hissing at him, clearly displayed how aggravated the girl was.

He should ask her about that some time.

His newfound tact and common sense told him that time isn't now.

That would be pushing his already pushed-to-the-edge luck with how Tokina was glaring at him. And how her dragon-snakes were snapping at him. And how her fists clenched and unclenched. And...

Well, she didn't like the idea but what can she do?

Put him in a genjutsu, give his unconscious body to Kazuhito and book it?

He swatted a butterfly that seemed to be fluttering too close to him for his own comfort.

"Not today, Miss Go-To-Sleep," he replied cockily.

Tokina raised an eyebrow.

Obito's eyes widened and punted a snake that slithered around his leg; it's fangs seconds away from his leg.

"Wow, okay, I thought we were above that?" It was the Uchiha's turn to hiss at the scale-covered girl. "We're wasting time here, Kina-chan." Obito tapped his foot impatiently. "And I know that you know that the minute I wake up, I'll just go back into the fray."

Tokina's eye twitched before groaning with a complacent "Fine," before turning around and running back into the Yuki Compound. Obito smirked and followed his friend cheerfully.

* * *

Obito dodges a particularly nasty volley of kunai headed towards his way. He threw a shuriken at where he guessed the perp threw his knife at and thought how kind of fucked up it was when he whooped when he heard a disgusting "squelch" followed by a "screech" and a subsequent "thud."

He was going to prove to his friend that he can pull his weight around! He isn't some helpless genin learning how to change diapers! Well, he was a genin but he wasn't helpless! Dammit, he's going to be Hokage for fuck's sake! They, Minato and Co., should treat him like it. Look, he wasn't asking for much, just a little bit of trust and recognition here and there.

Obito's ego-boosting rant session was interrupted when his friend literally crumpled screamed in pain. Panic flooded his system, looking around for the enemy that caused it. He ran to Tokina and out a hand on her shoulder, the snakes that were connected to her lied motionless on the floor as she screamed and clutched her eyes.

She yelled out _more_ gibberish that sounded like " _Four fawks sayk! Awf awl da tayms may ays desayds to be fawlty, eet chows da taym ay could day fraum incawpitant terrorists_!"

"Tokina!" He crouched in front of his friend, trying to pull out her hands so he could inspect the damage. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing!" She screamed, telling how much exactly her "nothings" meant right now. "Jus-AUGH!" Tokina rolled around the floor, an image he would have thoroughly enjoyed (not sadistically, of course) if it wasn't for her screaming and his worry for his friend.

Obito stood up; common sense telling him that loud scream should attract some attention, friendly or otherwise. He readied a kunai in his left and a shuriken in his right. "Don't worry, Tokina, I'll protect you." The black eyed boy clutched his kunai with newfound resolve.

He'll make sure of it.

You know, it'd be really convenient if his Sharingan just magically awakened right now.

Sadly, despite what the Uchiha mangas say, real life doesn't work that way.

"KONOHA POLICE FORCE! STAND DOWN OR BE PUT DOWN!" A familiar, authorities and stuck-up voice demanded. The voice practically oozed " _we are better than you in every way so just follow our orders"_.

Yep, definitely an Uchiha.

"Fugaku-san!" Obito called to his stuck-up uncle that he wasn't particularly fond of. To be fair, he wasn't fond of most of his clan-mates often being compared to _certain_ prodigies that he had the pleasure of being a teammate, one of them being a Hyūga so that meant even more antagonizing. Not that he minded, Tokina was a friend and he has a thick skin.

It can get annoying at times though, especially when it comes from an adult.

"Obito?" Fugaku called from the other end of the hall. He stout adult immediately appeared before him, assessing the scene under a second. "I'll ask questions later. For now, I'll escort you outside with your friend."

He didn't even have time to answer. One second he was about to argue with the head of the Uchiha Clan and was ready to be disowned and thrown in jail for it, the next he was with various Yuki Clan members and a few Hyūga members. Before he could give Fugaku a piece of his mind, the man body flickered away, presumably back into the fray.

So much for proving himself,

He eyed his now unconscious friend, staring at how the snakes receded from her shoulder blades, the scales doing the same thing. Now, to someone who just saw her right now, it would look like she's been through a really tough fight.

Which she probably has but there was nothing Tokina couldn't anyway. I'd only he could say the same about himself.

* * *

Tokina woke up absolutely _not_ happy at all.

Her eyes burned, her body felt like it's been grinded in the worst context, and she, above all, wanted to punch Obito for his stubbornness.

But, with this dextrose plugged in her arm, it seems like those plans wasn't going to happen anytime soon.

Oh, and, ironically since one of her best friends was in the medic-corps, her knowing how to use medical-ninjutsu, and her mom a doctor after serving her term as a ninja as per Hyūga law, she _hates_ hospitals.

Now that she thinks about it, the Hyūgas are kind of like Koreans in a sense. Both need to serve their country regardless of aspiration and body structure and are strict in their laws. Not to mention the visuals in the Eight Triagrams: 64 Palms Jutsu. Maybe Kishimoto was scared of cultural appropriation?

Oh, there she goes again with the old world. She tried so hard to not reminisce about it but she can't help miss the peaceful days.

She sighed, irritated by the feeling of a needle inside her. Tokina wanted nothing more than to rip it out.

Gently, of course,

Ugh, she couldn't even stare at it for so long.

At least her eyes didn't hurt so much.

Using her Byakugan to find if her family left her some stuff in her little part of the hospital, summoned a snake to open and retrieve a trashy romance novel she was reading for some time. It wasn't that she was lazy (she would be if there wasn't always the sense of perpetual dread and paranoia, let's be honest) but she didn't want to move her left hand with the needle in her.

So purposefully distracting herself with a book would be a great idea. The groggy Hyūga opened up the book, memorizing the page since she didn't have the time to make her own bookmark, and continued where she left off.

 _He pushed himself to her. Was this really happening? Was this all a dream? She didn't know. He was all she could think of._

" _Hana-chan, I...I..."_

 _This was really happening! She thought with gusto. All the dreamy sighs and the fantasies and the dreams! They were finally happening but not as dreams but as reality!_

" _What is it Kuzo-kun?"_

 _He held my hand in this cold night. Just us, no wars, no bad people, just two of us. In love and in together and he's finally going to say it._

" _Hana-chan I love-"_

"TOKINA! YOU'RE AWAKE!"

The patient that didn't need the extra stress and heartache let out a girly and very undignified and _unprofessional_ shriek of surprise that was supposed to be a repressed, fangirlish squeal since her OTP was canon. She threw the hardbound novel at the son of a two-pound bitch that seemed like he or she didn't pass kindergarten to learn that they needed to knock before entering any sort of room by complete accident.

If it was on purpose, she would have thrown something far more venomous.

And lethal,

It seemed that the inept female dog was Obito accompanied with Rin, Tokuma and her mom, Akane.

Now, the two doctors were fussing about Obito's brand new lump in the middle of his forehead. That is why they give ninjas forehead protectors.

"I told you to knock before entering!" Rin nagged the dazed Uchiha who still held her trashy romance novel between his hands.

Obito let out a string of words that made absolutely no sense to the audience inside the room. Rin huffed and lightly "bonked" the top of Obito's head with her knuckles, which seemed to give Obito his sliver of coherency back, if he had any to begin with. Tokina thoroughly doubted if the Uchiha had _any_ semblance of self-preservation in his golden heart and very breakable bones.

"Onee-chan!" Tokuma wailed and wrapped his pudgy arms around her torso after doing a cute toddler jump to reach her bed. "I was so worried!"

Tokina smiled down on her brother and patted his back, letting out apologies that only he could hear.

"We were all worried, Tokuma-kun." Rin ruffled his hair.

"I would say sorry but I don't really know what happened to me." Tokina sheepishly confessed. "I remember being very angry at Obito then nothing. Did I have a stroke?"

Obit mumbled to himself aside, "I said I was sorry..." Tokina deemed his pity party unworthy of her attention for now.

Rin shook her head, before dipping it with shame. "Well...sort of? You showed symptoms of severe chakra exhaustion even though you only used half of it." The younger doctor gave a sharp look to Obito and doubtlessly motioned to Tokuma. Obito gave Rin a nod.

"Hey, Kuma-kun, wanna get presents for your Onee-chan? I have some extra cash from our last mission." He bribed the toddler. The two boys left, Obito closing the door behind him to let the "adults" speak.

At least the boy was finally using the tact she beat into him.

Tokina raised an eyebrow before turning her head to her mom. Akane, the refined woman that was shaped through hardships and aged beautifully, did an uncharacteristic shrug, blinking her Byakugan as if she just turned on a light while casually sipping her coffee. She stepped closer to her bed and poked a specific part of her abdomen.

"There seems to be a blockage of some sorts around here," Akane then proceeded to trace the line up to her head, circling around her eyes, "Right now, something is blocking your chakra. You have been so careful with your chakra before, so it must be new to you to use that much chakra. Further inspection shows that there is a stream, albeit small, of the blocked out chakra that is going to your eyes."

"...am I going to be alright?" Tokina gulped, feeling like some sad damsel stuck in the hospital in some badly written drama that only airs after 7:00pm.

Rin gave a look at the senior doctor before letting out a lengthy breath, "We don't know. That blocked out chakra looks normal but with Akane's eyes it seems to have an 80:20 ratio of Spiritual Chakra and Physical Chakra respectively."

Akane took a sip of what wad otherwise known as a doctor's life essence before continuing her lengthy explanation. "We did not see it before since it was very unnoticeable, like a pathway in a dark street that did not have any streetlights. I suggested to the board to seal the strange chakra since this is such a new phenomenon. We would not know the effects of your body since it is slowly being accepted into your eyes and body. I do not want to risk my daughter being subjected into a medical-lab experiment."

…Too late for that.

Tokina assessed her mother, and it didn't take long to dub her eyebags unflattering and her accompanying slouching. The notion of her daughter being admitted after a terrorist attack that Akane could have prevented already wracked her brain, now she had to deal with this new ailment that Tokina had since birth, according to more experienced doctors and chakra specialists!

"We agreed that we would not do anything without your consent, Tokina-chan." Akane huffed and leaned on the wall. "You have two options, ignore it and come for regular visits _or_ let me seal it and come for regular visits."

The young Hyūga repressed the urge to groan. Like she didn't have to tolerate a white room before. At least Taizo's room had cats and did not have the lingering smell of antiseptic and the perpetual mix of hope and despair the air had.

She didn't want to bother her mother further and opted not telling her about the eye pains. It wasn't a disgusting sense of having a martyr complex. She'd rather eat dirt than sacrifice her well-being for someone who isn't in _the list_. Besides, the eye pains are a trivial matter compared to this.

However, she did not want to have the burden of having rounds of clutching her eyes, screaming and rolling around the floor in pain.

She remembered that memory well.

It wouldn't do her face justice.

"Just seal it up," the patient opted. "I don't want to deal with this."

Akane nodded, still not believing that the day came when she was finally going to deliver the hardest, most painful Jyūken strike to her own daughter.

Faith really is cruel.

The board didn't question why Hyūga Tokina had to stay another day. They gave one glance to Akane and discussed alternative ways to send in more medical-ninjas out for war.

* * *

After three days, the first being her admission, the second day was her sleeping and the third was her waking up, learning the news and then "sleeping" again, life began crawling back into normalcy.

Well, as normal it can get. The jail was overcrowded with the terrorists. Konoha was absolutely restless thanks to this. The Yuki Clan is now in the process of rebuilding and mourning, the Hyūga helping them, not out of political formality but because the Yuki did defend some of the Hyūga's own. At least there was some progress.

It has been officially a week after their first C-Rank and the Tokina still hasn't talked to Obito.

Well, she did. She was, after all, a professional. It was curt replies.

"Hey, Kina-chan!" Obito greeted her as usual, running up to her, dodging the morning crowd with ease.

Tokina nodded at him and gave him a small smile. "Uchiha-san,"

Said Uchiha boy immediately deflated.

"You can't seriously still be mad at me. It's been a week!" The boy moaned out,

"I don't know what you're talking about, Uchiha-san."

Obito muttered the name of his chosen, almighty absentee father figure. "Okay, I've been stupid! I shouldn't poke my head into other people's buisness! Is that what you want to hear?"

Tokina let out a tired sigh and turned to Obito when they reached the training grounds. It seemed the other two weren't here yet. They were alone, perfect for a confrontation. She might as well nip this problem in the bud now. "I want you to think about yourself before others." Tokina interrupted him during his string of apologies and probably empty promises.

"You mean be self-cantered?" Obito blurted out.

Tokina looked visibly irritated but years of dealing with shitty group mates that refused to help her in her college thesis honed her patience. "I mean just have a wee-bit sense of self-preservation."

Obito rolled his eyes and quietly muttered, "I have self-preservation." which Tokina heard. She turned jumped in front of the Uchiha and reached for his hand and held it up to him, her Byakugan activated. He winced at the suddenness of the action. She pointed at a scratch mark on the surface of his hand.

"Where did you get this?" Tokina prodded, glaring the truth out of Obito, giving him a look that dared him to lie in front of her face.

"I helped some granny get her kitten that was stuck in a tree, okay? No big deal," Obito looked away. When Tokina raised his hand and rolled up the sleeves of his jacket, Obito cringed away.

"Your whole arm is covered in scratches." Her face was inches from his and traced a scar he hid with Rin's ointment. "This isn't a cat scratch mark. This is a scar you get from a Konoha-issue kunai. It isn't just a 'graze from practice'." Tokina let his arm go and moved away, tapping her foot impatiently, Byakugan probably still prodding his body.

Strange, he was sure he wore clothes this morning. Why did he feel so naked?

Obito looked away from the shorter girl. You know, in manga, the shorter girls were the cute when they get angry. Like hamsters or kittens.

Maybe it was the Hyūga in her, the possibility of her summoning snakes or the butterflies that were fluttering around him menacingly, yes butterflies fluttering _menacingly_ around him, but Tokina did not look cute at all.

"...a genin that wasn't in our batch was bullying academy students."

"There's an even deeper scar by your chest. It's new, longer than a kunai. If I can guess, it's Konoha-standard katana."

Obito inwardly despaired. He thought the ointment would completely erase it from his body! This is what he gets for forgetting to apply it every morning. "...he also had a katana."

"And judging by the badly masked bruise on your left eye, you're new pair of goggles and a lot more cuts that I won't even bother mentioning, you lost." She accurately guessed,

Obito let out an annoyed huff. "So what? Don't help people in need? Well sorry for having a moral compass that isn't broken." He testily replied.

Tokina's gaze softened, "Don't go into fights you can't win." She summarized, "You can't exactly lead Konoha if your dead, Obutto."

The Uchiha turned a shade pink before crossing his arms and turning around, steadily picking up the shards of his ego and remaining masculinity. "I guess,"

Tokina smirked up at him and lightly punched his shoulder, "Sermon finished," she jibed. "I can't be your right hand if both of your hands are buried six feet under."

"Kina-chan, that is _so_ fucked up." Obito deadpanned. "Besides, with my newfound self-preservation, I'm sure my lifespan lengthened a few years."

The pair chuckled, Tokina putting more effort into the action. Now _that_ was fucked up.

* * *

Hatake Kakashi kept most of his curiosities to himself. To avoid confrontation and needless banter, he usually stalked the one he was curious about. He didn't want the whole "aw, you do care!" response he'll probably get once he tries to satisfy it. It was Kushina's fault why he was like this. Albeit not noticeable, he was curious about most things.

The extent of Obito's idiocy, why Nohara Rin still deemed him an eligible lover when he wanted nothing to do with her, Kushina-san's addiction to ramen and Minato-sensei's new jutsu that he refused to share the details of. The first was unsolvable, the second he was still confused about, the third he refused to question since that would threaten his life and the fourth he will find out soon.

Very…very soon.

However, this month was the things inside Tokina's genjutsu. Usually, it was some bad memory (she assured him she wouldn't pull the "dead father card" on him) a strange labyrinth that was either monochrome, filled with flowers and monstrous cotton balls that looked like they were painted on or a black and red polka-dotted room with falling pills and a lot of sweets. He was already curious about the choice of scenery but pegged it for her unusual mind.

However, during training, the new atmosphere was clearer than her previous genjutsu.

 _Woah-ooah!_

Kakashi braved through the dark, stopping at the sudden sound of feet thumping in rhythm.

It was one of _these_ genjutsu.

The thumping and cheering become louder and louder before silencing itself.

 _Ladies and gents, this is the moment you've waited for_

 _Woah-ooah!_

 _Been searching in the dark, your sweat soaking through the floor_

 _Woah-ooah!_

 _And buried in your bones there's an ache that you can't ignore_

 _Taking your breath, stealing your mind_

 _And all that was real is left behind_

He ignored the blaring of the audience, the strange gibberish that seemed to be talking as if his speech was meant to be a song. Kakashi drew his short blade as he continued walking through the darkness. A spotlight blared through his eyes, making him wince but not falter.

 _Don't fight it; it's coming for you, running at ya_

 _It's only this moment, don't care what comes after_

 _Your fever dream, can't you see it getting closer_

 _Just surrender 'cause you feel the feeling taking over_

 _It's fire, its freedom, its flooding open_

 _A preacher in the pulpit and you'll find devotion_

 _There's something breaking at the brick of every wall, its holding_

 _All that you know_

 _So tell me do you wanna go?_

Few minutes later he was running from animals he only saw in books, people in skimpy and foreign clothes swinging from rope, stars, fire, a lady with a beard, a small man riding a horse and other oddities that he couldn't efficiently describe in a sentence.

Unlike her other illusions, it felt so real.

 _Where it's covered in all the colored lights_

 _Where the runaways are running the night_

 _Impossible comes true, it's taking over you_

 _Oh, this is the greatest show_

 _We light it up, we won't come down_

 _And the sun can't stop us now_

 _Watching it come true, it's taking over you_

 _Oh, this is the greatest show!_

After slicing the head of a man in a flamboyant tuxedo and a hat too big to be comfortable and not a pain to wear, the audience, animals and the other things he couldn't possibly describe faded away.

He spent too long in that fantasy, judging by how the Hyūga smirked at him while the boas tightened their coil around the scowling boy. Not that she could tell since his face was covered by a mask, or maybe she can since she's so damned perceptive.

Following that incident, he wanted to know what inspired her illusion.

...and he had to admit he was lost in the music a few moments more he cared to admit.

He, Hatake Kakashi, will never admit to stalking. No, he justified the action as _observing_ and _taking notes_. So that's what he did.

He _observed_ Tokina.

He read the trashy romance novels she read,

Ate the chocolate she ate (even though he wasn't a fan of chocolate in the first place)

Discretely went to the same places she went to see what could have inspired such an illusion.

Kakashi weighed his options with an aura of indifference, his face showing nothing of his inner turmoil. He could swallow his pride and push aside his stubbornness and ask her or he could not admit his failure in information gathering and continued to stalk her. He opted the latter for five whole weeks before growing impatient, his curiosity outweighing his pride for once.

They weren't exactly in friendly terms, so it was especially hard on him to be the one to initiate the conversation. The two sat across each other in Training Ground 3, waiting for their blonde teacher who promised to be earlier than expected but isn't showing and the Uchiha boy that just promised to attend on time.

Kakashi just went for it. "How did you come up with that genjutsu."

Tokina's head shot-up at the incredibly strange tone of Kakashi's voice. Was that...a tone that didn't contain any hostility? That was a big shocker for her. A few minutes of silence passed them, Tokina using that moment to gather her bearings since Kakashi never talked, much less engaged in small-talk. Before the more awkwardly-social teen could take back what he said, Tokina spoke up.

"Which one?" She indulged the Hatake, tilting her head slightly before leaning back on her tree.

"The..." Kakashi thought briefly of how he could describe that mindfuck in one sentence. "...the one with the strangely clothed people suspending from a non-existant ceiling."

Tokina raised an eyebrow, smirked and chuckled, "Ah, _The Greatest Showman_."

Kakashi must have missed his weekly ear cleaning since even his ears did not pick up a single word Tokina uttered.

"What?"

"The Greatest Showman," Tokina amended and gave him a small grin, "With the audience, the circus, the elephants and the lions and the strange people suspending from the ceiling." She overly supplied, "What about it?"

"What inspired it?"

Tokina wasn't used to this "prodding" Kakashi in front of her but it was a nice change from the sullen boy that she was getting used to. "I have an overactive imagination." She shrugged. Picking up Kakashi's body language, telling her that he wasn't the least satisfied with her answer, she sighed and let butterflies escape her sleeves. Guiding Akinosuke in her memories, she began weaving The Greatest Showman as a genjutsu, using the butterflies to perfect her memory of it.

This action which Kakashi's brain registered as "hostile" was not appreciated by the least. Tokina rolled her eyes, "You want to know what inspired this, right? Well I'll show you."

Next thing he knew, Kakashi was sitting in a velvet seat in the dark. The air conditioner was whining in the background with faceless people murmuring around him. Tokina was right next to him in the strange seat.

"I have a lot of stories in my head," she confessed, "I'm too lazy to write them so I like picturing them with genjutsu."

The darkness couldn't let Kakashi read the Hyūga girl's expression. He didn't let himself relax. The white screen boomed in colors, showing them of what seemed to be video recording of Tokina's exact genjutsu but it was too dark to see. There was a text for him to read near the bottom of the screen, something he quickly identified as kanji. It wasn't _exactly_ Tokina's genjutsu. First, there was a giant strange monument which the kanji identified as _20_ _th_ _Century Fox_.

Whatever that was,

And then a person shooting an arrow at him?

It was a mess.

But the song, (with a translation!) was there.

Then the strange man was doing poses behind a bleacher.

 _Ladies and gents', this is the moment you've all been waiting for._

* * *

When the "movie" (that is what Tokina called it) was over, the two blinked awake. Tokina was stretching and was proud of her for holding a genjutsu for maybe about an hour and might possibly be forty-five minutes (with a lot of help from her butterfly summons). Kakashi stood up and stretched his rigid muscles as well, relishing the cracking sounds it made, still remaining silent. Minato and Obito was still nowhere to be found.

"So there, The Greatest Showman." Tokina shrugged nonchalantly as if the array of lights and the great music which he can finally appreciate thanks to the translation given to him by Tokina was something to shrug at.

"...why show that to me?"

She raised an eyebrow "You asked? Besides, I tried showing the stories to the others. Tokuma, my baby brother, is only interested in the pictures rather than the story. Obito can't pay attention long enough and usually sleeps through it and Rin is too busy. Also, you read books so you of all people should appreciate a good plot." Tokina confessed with a hint of melancholy in her voice.

That was strange.

Why was she sad?

"So, what did you think?"

Kakashi chose to ask the most important question of all. "...why do they randomly burst into a song and dance?"

"Besides that,"

"...do you have any more?" He gave her a nonchalant side-eye.

Tokina held her arms and began reminiscing times in the cinema before chuckling. "More musicals? Sure I do."

Kakashi seemed like he wanted to say something before she chuckled and rolled her eyes. "Want me to show them to you? It won't be trouble. Just notify me a head of time. This took a lot of chakra."

Kakashi shrugged and played it cool. "We'll see." before disappearing to God-knows-where.

Tokina giggled aside herself. She never imagined Kakashi as a musical fan. That little thought solidified itself as a fact when he heard him humming the tune of "Never Enough"

* * *

AN.

So while I was writing this chapter (because there is _no_ transistion between the last chapter and the next chapter) I was listening to the Greatest Showman Album in Spotify and was thinking how can I get Tokina and Kakashi closer because _wow_ they are so frigid together.

And then I paid close attention to the lyrics of The Greatest Show and thought "Wow, is this _not_ a genjutsu?"

Also Kakashi singing musicals gives me life

If you think that Tokina vs Obito ends there, sweetie think again.

 **THE NEXT CHAPTER WILL BE A TIME SKIP, WHENEVER THAT IS**

My computer is broken so I can't edit willy-nilly and I am using my dad's computer without his consent because if I ask him to he'll go break my ear about how I don't take care of my computer and I do not want to deal with that.

BECAUSE OF THAT, I will be posting chapters in THIS format. Long chapters because I don't know when I'll be able to post next since my life as a Grade 11 student will start at monday :D

It might be next week or next _year_ for fuck's sake. That or I learn how to use Fanfiction dot net's app in editing.

That's an entire can of worms I do not want to open.

Anyway, enjoy life :)


	33. Chapter 33: Blood, Sweat and Liquids 1

AN.

I KNOW I KNOW THIS IS SUCH A SHORT, HALF-ASSED TRANSITION CHAPTER TO THE ACTION BUT HERE ME OUT

Okay, so I know that this fanfic is a _mess_ , plotwise and writing-wise. I'm currently rewriting _everything_ and converting it to 3rd Person POV. Don't worry, veteran writers, all the important scenes are going to still be here, probably going to add more scenes to smoothen transitions etc.

Basically editing I should have done in the first place.

Anyway that's all

WARNING: Underage drinking and rushed editing HNGGG

For the sake of some content in this chapter, disclaimer: **I do not own anything mentioned in this fic except the story and my OC. No copyright infringement is and will ever be intended.**

Also _**IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT AT THE BOTTOM**_

* * *

It's been a year,

A year of Obito not heeding Tokina's whishes,

A year of Obito apologizing and promising to reform,

A year of Tokina harshly reprimanding her friend despite her said friend being an adult in Konoha standard,

A year of Tokina huffing and taking back the apologies that she shouldn't even hear because Obito is an adult, who could think for himself,

A year of both of them committing mistakes over and over again,

Tokina wasn't mad. Due to her spiteful nature, she was glad that he didn't get that promotion to chunin and got absolutely _owned_ by Maito Gai in the most painful way possible. Of course she followed Rin, who also wasn't promoted to chunin even though she won her match, and cheered the moody Uchiha up, Tokina ignoring the sharp glances Rin gave her every time she said "I told you so,"

But he rebounded anyway.

As expected

After their fourth B-rank, Team Minato boasted a 99% success rate. The adults (and some of their batch mates) rolled their eyes at the news. They expected this, anyway. Were they supposed to be surprised that the two geniuses that graduated at age five had so much success if they were in the same team?

The three worked well together, covering spots for each other. Tokina had a brilliant and creative mind which she uses for tactics but lacked the decisiveness of a leader. Kakashi was a natural born leader and knew his priorities but didn't have the flexibility needed to be a good tactician. When the two thinkers were stumped at what to do, impulsiveness was Obito's unsaid brand.

However, it should also be said that the workplace is very different from a home environment, obviously, but when the work environment melds with the home environment, things get a tad bit problematic.

Especially for the two best friends who now had a rocky relationship and was only getting rockier from there. She thought the chunin exams would have given him a harsh lesson in reality, or maybe one of the many dangerous B-ranks they took and had multiple brushes with death.

But Obito was still the same Obito.

" _Naive, reckless, immature!"_ Tokina thought bitterly after another scuffle with enemy ninjas with a mission that, you guessed it! Went south even before they talked to their client. The war was not helping her cause for safety but what can she do? Singlehandedly stop the entire Shinobi War? In her dreams!

"This isn't a game, Obito." Tokina unleashed her cold wrath on the foolishly reckless Uchiha. It mildly annoyed her that she had to tilt her head upward now to his eye to the Uchiha boy.

Ironic since they now rarely see eye to eye.

Minato frowned and Kakashi cringed at the loudness of her voice, stepping over the dead body of one of the twenty enemy-nins they were tasked to exterminate. The two bystanders watched what was slowly becoming a reoccurring scene after missions. Tokina spouting recommendations on what to do, Kakashi approving, Obito complying and Minato would step in if the plan wasn't efficient to carry out, which was rarely.

It was also common for Obito to listen to his instincts and not follow the plan.

Tokina would have been okay with it. She really would, but when his "instincts" causes him to almost die multiple times in many different and horrific ways, that's when she drew the line on the imaginary ground she conjured up.

And that said ground was running out of free space for all the lines she drew.

Obito rolled his eyes, crossing his arms and inwardly preparing for Tokina's nagging, and not appreciating her tone at the slightest. "Oh great here it goes..." he muttered, intending for her to hear the five worded mantra that he uses to brace himself through the shit stroms that he dubbed as a _Hyūga Hearing_.

Which made her even more irritable,

"I thought you promised to stop this idiocy. My _God_ , Obito, it's been a year and you still do this!" she emphasized the dead Shinobi with an extended hand which did _not_ do well for the point she was trying to make. "Can you not run into danger like a mosquito flying to a lantern that would kill them?" Tokina pressed with a cold revere about her.

Whenever she got mad, hell froze over.

And she was the ice.

But Obito usually burned even hotter than hell.

"If you haven't noticed, _Tokina_ , I'm a ninja? I'm sure your Byakugan should have picked that little fact up." Perfecting his Uchiha sneer. Obito showed the clan's favorite face which Tokina slowly grew to despise. "I'm not your kid, I'm not Tokuma, I'm a perfectly capable ninja—"

"—that could die if he doesn't use his brain more than his gut—"

"—that doesn't need constant supervision and " _friendly reminders_ " from a " _friend"_."

Obito didn't appreciate the interruption but said nothing. The two traded glares, one cold as winter itself and the other one completely on fire and neither one seemed like they would back down from the other.

Kakashi stayed quiet as always. He always told himself that one day, they were going to have a big fight. It was just so glaringly _obvious_. Their personalities did not match. Someone as passionate yet hard-headed as Obito couldn't mix with someone as blasé and borderline uncaring person like Tokina. That didn't mean that he appreciated the chaos of it all. A headache was a norm that surfaced after this scuffle. He refused to be the bridge.

"You know what?" Tokina threw her hands up in the air. "Okay. Sure. Fine. I am so _done_ with your immaturity." She, surprisingly, backed down. Rarely did she convey her true feelings, hiding it behind that smile she usually forced herself on (as instructed by her therapist and multiple beauty magazines) or a blank face. Even rarer was her backing down from an argument.

Kakashi dubbed her as the intelligent of the two, and a year with her proved that. It wasn't without debate, her taking up the role as the team's tactician. She knew fights that they should engage head on, using stealth or not pursue at all.

It seems that that same mind dubbed her fruitless conquest as a loss.

"Get yourself killed, see if I care, Hokage- _dono_." She turned her back, her hakama fluttering due to the speed and utter sass that the single action upheld. Tokina jumped from tree to tree and seethed in silence. The two other men that didn't have a scolding sighed and followed suit. Obito let out a frustrated cry before catching up to them.

The year wasn't friendly on the two friends, if you can still call them that.

* * *

 _Well of course, Veggie-chan! Who wouldn't want to be Hokage?"_

 _Tokina raised an amused eyebrow. Because her sense of humor demanded it, she slowly raised her left hand. Obito continued smiling as he held her hand and slowly pulled it down, much to the Hyūga's very shallow amusement._

 _"Besides you," He added as an afterthought. "Why don't you wanna be Hokage anyway?" the black haired boy who believed he was a man expressed his genuine curiosity._

 _Tokina shrugged, before smirking at him with a small, tight lipped smile. "I think the real question is why you want to be Hokage." She challenged with a tilt of her head. "I couldn't handle the pressure of leading an entire village."_

 _"And retiring early and being a hermit is a better choice than being THE Hokage?" He deadpanned, violating the unsaid copyright since that deadpan belonged solely to the Hyūgas._

 _"Hey, I support your dreams so you should support mine too." Tokina expressed haughtily._

 _"What's up with that dream, anyway?" He asked, ignoring her blatant need for his approval._

 _"I just want to live my life in peace," she said, a hint of longingness crawling forth in her tone. Obito eyed his friend warily before she caught herself and returned to her passive smile. "Which seems so hard because the two other ninjas can't protect the support-nin from the dangers of being in the rear posistion."_

 _"Hey to be fair, you can protect yourself just fine!" He pointed out. Tokina let out a humorless snort._

 _"That doesn't excuse you for slacking off your jo-"_

"Tokina-chan?"

The familiar voice shook herself from her dreaming of a better time. She didn't bother standing up to meet Rin, who without invitation, sat down with her in the grass. The mid-summer in Konoha was particularly cruel this time of the month. Shade provided by a tree near a lake was the perfect opportunity to cool down when she didn't want to go home.

"Rin? What are you doing here?" She blinked up, a bit drowsy from her brief siesta under the cool shade.

"I heard you and Obito-kun got into another fight. This is your favorite spot in Konoha, so I took an intellectual guess." She summed up with a feminine smile.

"Ugh," Tokina expressed exactly what she felt about that particular verbal lashing.

"Let me guess, the usual?" Rin eased and leaned on the tree bark with her Hyūga friend. It was scary how often these scuffles happened that she had to play peacemaker every time.

"Is it really a surprise?" She coldly spat out. "The foolhardy little twit couldn't even take into consideration that there are people waiting for him here. Of course, that reason is a bit too rich for Hokage-dono's blood."

"I talked to him about it and he vowed that he'll try to be more careful next time."

"I heard that line." Tokina said with a little bit more disdain that she should have given into. "I heard that last week, and the week after that, and the week after that week." She rolled around her hand, easily showing how tired she was of her pointless battle. "He's like an alcoholic, except this can kill him faster than any alcohol could ever dream of."

"I understand your point Tokina-chan" Rin whole-heartily agreed with the cause of her fight, however playing peacemaker had rules that she needed to heed and that was absolutely no bias allowed. "But you need to understand his."

Tokina turned her head to her and raided a brow.

"Being teamed up with the two prodigies of this generation can lead to...insecurities," Rin confessed with a soft, a bit sad smile. "Especially if that said person came from a prestigious clan that demanded excellence. It doesn't help if that said, completely hypothetical and imaginary person and the said prodigy is an Uchiha and a Hyūga, a clan so often in cold war because of their eyes they can write up a whole book about it."

Tokina blinked and her face turned into that famed Hyūga deadpan. "So because of his ego, he can't bear to realize that he can excel _and_ survive at the same time?"

"That's a little harsh, isn't it?" Rin pressed her lips, not at all happy "And your completely missing the point." Tokina looked a bit sheepish and dipped her head, averting her gaze and finding the grass worthy of her attention a little bit too much.

"I care for him like my own flesh and blood, and you know how I treat Tokuma, Rin." Tokina smiled at the mention of her baby bear.

"I keep telling him ' _the greatest ninjas are the ones that stay alive_.' but he's just so…" she waved her hand, trying to find the right word. "…Enamored of the thought of proving himself that it could lead him to his early death." The Hyūga seemed twice her age that day. Rin thought it was just the maturity that being a prodigious ninja forced on to her.

Tokina was remembering a very clear picture of how her best-friend being buried under a rock and missing one eye.

"He doesn't need to prove himself to anyone. Have you seen his fireball Rin? He could burn a whole forest down without breaking a sweat." Tokina's eyes shone with second-hand pride, much to Rin's amusement.

"Obito's such a late bloomer, isn't he?" Rin agreed, "He perfected Fire Release: Phoenix Sage Fire this morning."

Tokina nodded. "So why is he so stubborn about his acts of heroism? I believe he can be Hokage, Rin, and a good one at that but you can't become Hokage if your etched into the memorial stone before you become one."

Rin smirked before sighing and let a breath in. "His sensei, a direct student from Jiraiya-sama and from a no-name clan, is already a rising star throughout the nations. His teammate, Kakashi, the son of the White Fang of Konoha, is a prodigy that is rumored to have bested twenty jonin alone. Another prodigy, Tokina, daughter of the Hyūga Clan and another student of a Sannin, Orochimaru, is rumored to have escaped Kiri's T&I, a feat no other Konoha-nin could brag about."

Tokina felt a little sheepish about the T&I bit. "Shishou was the one that busted me out. I don't know what you're talking about." She mumbled to Rin.

"Endured it nevertheless." The brunette smiled. "Three ninjas who have already achieved great things before they reached twenty-five, and what can Obito-kun compare that to? Mastering a jutsu he is expected to learn."

"Rin, that makes us sound like over-achieving monsters." Tokina, intended as a jest, said. Rin gave her a look that said _"yeah...about that"_ which made her groan.

"Okay, fine, I'll go apologize to him after he's done fuming." Tokina huffed; breaking her stubborn streak of making sure the party that offends her apologizes to her first. Rin nodded to herself with a smile, her job done.

"Also, are you going to attend tonight's gathering?" Rin followed-up casually. "I know you're not fond of this, but it would be nice to see you in our little batch gatherings. Everyone wants to see you."

Tokina shrugged, "I don't know, Rin. Not only is Obito mad at me, and I know he's going to go, but Anko's just gonna call me names, Genma is probably going to give some snide remark about my thighs which I've hid thanks to my hakama and I'm probably going to be the victim of Gai's hyper-ness if Kakashi decides he won't come. _Again_."

The little gathering was hosted by Rin. She didn't want the war to destroy what little of a bond her batch mates had with each other so she went out of her way and literally gathered them all up. Rin always had that way with people, getting what she wanted.

Tokina let herself give into a knowing smirk. At least she did one thing right.

"While we're in the topic of Obito's welfare and happiness," Tokina gave the medic-nin a knowing smile which Rin quickly evaded, guising her blush by standing up.

"I think I should go, Nana-san might be expecting me."

"Come on, Rin."

"We've discussed this before, Tokina-chan."

"If he's not going to make the first move—"

"—which he's not because he is not in love with me—"

"You can't be that blind and dense."

"Shush," Rin hushed her before walking away. Tokina cackled aside herself.

* * *

"Eeeey! Look who decided to show up!" Anko waved a sake bottle to Rin and Tokina when they emerged from the darkness.

Konoha was chock-full of discrimination, whether if it was your marital status to where your last name came from. One of the "privileges" that ninjas can have is underage drinking. Although it was legal, most bar owners condone it since the whole "no drinking until 18+" had been beaten to them senseless before they reached that age.

Of course, if said ninja was really persuasive ( _or pushy_ ) they could get the spirits if they so desired.

Anko was the pushy kind.

Tokina rolled her eyes at the little drunkard-to-be. "All that alcohol and you can't even hold it, Mitarashi-san." The Hyūga brunette huffed, sliding next to Kakashi while Rin went to the opposite end of the bench, sitting with Obito who gave Tokina a side eye before drinking whatever he was drinking. Tokina shuffled next to Kakashi's side who looked at her once before both of the prodigies wincing at Gai's rambunctiousness.

"Huh?! You trying to pick a fight?!" Anko hicked with bravado, much to the blatant amusement of some of her peers. Tokina shook her head and sighed. She ordered a beef bowl to keep her occupied, while all the others were watching Anko rant about Orochimaru and making a general fool of herself.

"So, did he give you his hair secrets, snake-y?" Genma chuckled, holding what was probably watered down sake. Raidō boweled with laughter at the story that Tokina and Rin missed.

"That's where it gets irritating!" She howled. "You know what he said?! You know what that beautiful man that I could have sworn was my mom when he had his back turned said?!"

Asuma rolled his eyes in good humor "Oh I'm dying to hear it." Kurenai chuckled at his sarcasm.

"He said that I " _will know in due time!_ "" Anko spouted that quote out like it was some mortal sin. "Like, what the fuck?! I don't want die with mud on my hair! I shit you not that whenever he runs, no leaves ever gets caught!" As if to emphasize her point, she dug through her volume of hair and found a generously sized leaf. "See what I have to deal with?!"

Rounds of laughter, Anko not appreciating it one bit. She glared at Tokina who was innocently eating her food while listening to one of Gai's soliloquies of youth and vigor.

"Admit it, butterfly _butt face_!" Anko pointed at her.

Tokina rolled her eyes, muttering a soft "That's a new one." That didn't go unheard by the party who all snorted and laughed.

Anko, who was flushed thanks to the effects of sake, continued on. "You know his hair secrets, don't you! Tell me what shampoo he uses or I swear I'll gut you."

"Yeah, I'm sure you can gut your " _senpai_ ", Anko."

"Shut the fuck up, Genma! I told you not to call her that! No one asked for your input!" She slurred at the expert senbon user. "Go back to making kissy faces with Raidō!"

"I keep telling you I'm not gay!"

"On second thought, take your fragile masculinity with you, too!" The trench coat wearing kunoichi said in finality, throwing the leaf she got from her hair at him.

"Now, Tokina, you can tell me or I gut you!" Anko threatened seriously. The whole group focused their attention on them besides Rin and Obito that were talking besides themselves. Tokina huffed and rolled her eyes once more. Kakashi and Gai leaned back when the drunk, underage kunoichi began crawling on the table to face her, using her ninja skills to avoid wasting any food.

"He uses shampoo, Anko, and I'm sure you should use it too." Tokina wrinkled her nose and pushed Anko away, much to her annoyance and the delight if the group, laughing at the blubbering snake-user.

After that little incident, the group finally quieted down and talked amongst each other in their own individual friendship circles. When Gai excused himself for his nightly routine that involved weight, too much effort and youth, it didn't take long for Kakashi to seize Tokina up, who was taking her time with that beef bowl and deliberately avoiding his gaze.

"Is the dimwit is still mad at you?"

Tokina pursed her lips. "He's not a dimwit, he's trying his best." She scolded lightly.

Kakashi snorted, "So he is."

Tokina didn't except Kakashi to take up her offer with "movie time". One random day, she was alone in Training Ground 3, enjoying the nature, minding her business like any person would, totally not using that spot because it had cool shade, quiet atmosphere, and absolutely no people to judge her whenever she squealed when someone in her many romance novels does something cute which was very often, then suddenly Kakashi appeared before her and demanded to watch more musicals.

Before dodging a senbon aimed for his eye due to surprise.

She complied as an apology and showed him the Broadway musical "Wicked" with a bit better special effects than necessary and totally did _not_ show him the part where Wicked Witch of the West almost fell to her death because of a malfunction in the part where she was suppose to fly when she saw it. Tokina swore to him that she wouldn't brag to anyone how his eyes practically sparkled when "Defying Gravity" played (and how the Witch did not fuck up this time) and how smug he was when she revealed the Wicked Witch of the West wasn't dead.

They had a very thorough discussion about morality after that and it went downhill from there.

Also he didn't complain about the subs.

Unlike a certain Uchiha when she tried to show him the anime "Gintama".

The two prodigies didn't need to hold an awkward air towards each other anymore or force themselves to look each other in the eye.

Kakashi seeked her out while Tokina waited for him, which annoyed her and slowly became a game of cat and mouse with Tokina activating her Byakugan to find him and Kakashi dodging her vision.

It annoyed her vastly.

Like what he's doing right now.

"Kakashi, stop looking at me like that." She glared at his blank side-eye that told her " _Christ your pathetic_ " which she didn't care for at all.

"What look?" The Silver haired boy asked innocently

"You're smarter than this,"

"Tell me something I don't know."

She repressed a groan and shoved a big helping of beef in her mouth and chewing in cold anger. Tokina suddenly regretted her decision to sit next to Kakashi who gave her the "look".

The "look" was a mix of a condescending sneer, a sarcastic smile and eyes that said:"you're pathetic." He uses it whenever Obito pisses him off or he wants Tokina to do something and pokes her pride to attain it .

"Okay, fine, what do you want me to do?" She jabbed the last of her beef, letting her voice go a volume higher thanks to how loudly Anko was snoring.

Kakashi shrugged, his elbows resting on the table and facing her with a bored expression. "Don't apologize. I know you were thinking of apologizing first." He clearly read her mind. She didn't let the surprise register on her face, instead bringing her beef to her mouth and chewing it vehemently.

"Last time I checked, you belong in the Hatake Clan and not the Yamanakas." She smartly remarked, about to finish food.

Kakashi shrugged, only addressing her quip with that before continuing. "Your right, he needs to wake up from whatever dream he's in." Kakashi huffed, "it'll do all of us a favor since it annoys me the most."

Tokina gave a close lipped smile. "Is this you caring for Obito?"

Kakashi gave her a death glare for her insinuation. "I don't want that idiot slowing me down." He stood up and left the group without a goodbye. She sighed and gulped down her orange juice because she was one of the few people that wasn't afraid of vitamin C and wasn't intolerant of orange-y deliciousness.

She didn't want to weigh her decision with the likes of Anko snoring. As to not rouse the sleeping kunoichi, she quietly bid adieu, not even glancing at Obito who was still talking to Rin and left.

* * *

"An A-rank mission?!" Obito repeated with stars in his black eyes.

Tokina tensed and Kakashi nodded in approval. Minato smirked at the Uchiha's enthusiasm. "That's right Obito-kun, an A-rank. We are tasked to go to the Land of Hotsprings and assist a village called Bamboo Village with whatever seems to be ailing them. The Land of Hot springs are known for their water with medicinal properties so it isn't their money we're after, but a partnership for a steady silly of the water."

Obito whooped nevertheless. Sure it was probably going to be a hard mission, but he won't pass up the opportunity to show those two that he can be as strong or than them or even moreso! He gazed at Tokina who looked troubled at the prospect of going to the Land of Hotsprings. It was either that or the dangers of an A-Rank mission.

She was always such a worry wart.

Tokina instinctively held her arms, as if remembering something that bothered her greatly.

It tugged on Obito's heartstrings.

She's deathly afraid of water.

He wasn't as blind as she thought. There were multiple missions when they required walking on water but she usually found another route to take, convincing them with some spiel about tactics and routes and other bullshit. He didn't have the gall to tease her about it even if she wasn't his favorite person at the moment.

He remembered her shaking at the sound of a running tap.

He shook his head out of the funk he was slowly descending into. No, this mission is the mission where he'll finally prove to them that he's worth his salt. Despite what Rin told him, he wasn't going to talk to Tokina until she talks to him first. He was so done being a doormat to the Hyūga. If he's going to be Hokage he needs to show some back bone right now.

This is a chance he can't pass up.

* * *

AN.

SO YES!

Hopefully that was a wholesome ending to avoid cliffhangers.

 _ **I won't be posting anymore chapters until I rewrite the whole fanfic to avoid fake updates**. **I'll be posting them in one sitting+the new chapter**._

ANYWAY CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM IS WANTED BECAUSE WOW, I NEED IT. I try to incorporate all the notices in this fanfic and I'll try my best but HERE ME OUT FOR A SEC!

By: **Way of Life**

 _In all the stories I generally like Obito's_  
 _character, but in yours I do not. He is stupid, puts himself and his team at risk and doesn't even know what is wrong in his actions. Even when told._

 _Your minato is just too weak and soft on Obito too. The mistake that Obito made could have endangered the entire team, it in fact did, yet he lets it go with a slap on the back of the hand and even insists that Tokina should lighten up._

 _I feel your OC is the only sensible character here._  
 _Your Minato is just too focused on comedy and in the end just ends up becoming a caricature of himself and just a one dimensional poorly written character._

 _I know that you are a good writer, your story is the proof of that. It's just these 2 points that drag your story down. Specially your interpretation of Minato. He is a seasoned shinobi that fought in wars, and came out of them alive. He will not allow mistakes like Obito's to persist._

 _That's all that I have to say. Good work with story and I will be waiting for the next update._

ALL OF THIS IS VALID AND THERE IS NO LIE ESPECIALLY AT MINATO'S PART however I believe that the Obito we know in the anime should be different in this fanfic because of character development. We don't know the shit he's been through pre-Kannabi and I wanted to emphasize his growth.

HOWEVER THERE IS NO EXCUSE AT MINATO'S PART. I'LL TRY TO DO THAT WHILE I EDIT THE WHOLE FIC AND THE FUTURE UPDATES

THANKS GUYS AND REMEMBER to enjoy life :)


End file.
